Chasing Infinity
by songbird4Him
Summary: The balance of the Nine Realms is beginning to falter, and to stop the Realms from slipping into utter darkness two battles must be fought. There are those who must fight the war and those who must try to take out the enemy from within. As the battle lines are drawn it is up to the most unlikely person imaginable to create a plan that can take down the courtier of Death.
1. never doubt that I love you

Thor stood outside the great hall waiting to make his entrance for the coronation. Silently his younger brother sidled up next to him.

"Nervous brother?" Loki enquired.

Thor let out a confident laugh. "Have you ever known _me_ to be nervous?" He replied.

"hmmm Well there was the time in Nornheim …" Loki replied after thinking for a moment.

"That was not nerves brother, that was the rage of battle!" Thor interrupted.

"Ah, I see." Loki replied unconvinced.

"How else could I have fought my way through a hundred warriors and pulled us out alive?" Thor defended.

"Uh, as I recall _I_ was the one who availed us in smoke to ease our escape." Loki pointed out.

Thor began to laugh good-naturedly. "Yes, some do battle, others just do tricks."

Loki let out a slightly offended "Ahh" before turning to a servant who had come with a goblet of wine for Thor. Not able to let a chance to show off his "tricks" slip, Loki turned the wine into snakes with a simple flick of his wrist. The servant quickly dropped the goblet and gave Loki an uneasy stare. Loki chuckled quietly to himself as Thor began to scold him.

"Loki, now that was just a waste of good wine."

"Oh, its just a bit of fun, right my friend?" he replied while looking at the unnerved servant. Loki waved his hand and the snakes disappeared. The servant quickly ducked his head and left the two princes.

Loki let out a small "hmm." He was notorious for his mischievous behavior, and this incident was certainly not the first time a palace servant had been at the receiving end of one of his harmless pranks. In all honesty they were harmless. No one had ever been hurt, and he certainly didn't intend for any harm to come to his unsuspecting victims. There was little to amuse Loki in the palace so his tricks provided an outlet for his boredom, and in a childish way, they allowed him to gain some attention.

Thor stood beside Loki chuckling at his little brother's antics when a soldier appeared and handed him his helm. Thor took the silver helmet in his hand and stared at it for a moment.

Loki, noticing his brother's contemplative gaze, decided to break the tension. "ooooh Nice feathers."

Thor chuckled slightly, grateful for his brother's decision to lighten the mood. "You don't really want to start this again do you, cow?"

"I was being sincere!" Loki replied with a mock look of shock on his face.

"You are incapable of sincerity."

"Am I?"

"Yes." Thor retorted before turning away from his brother.

Loki took a moment to organize his thoughts before addressing Thor. "I've looked forward to this day as long as you have. You're my brother and my friend."

Thor looked back at Loki and smiled. He knew his younger sibling was notorious for his ability to lie, but Thor could sense that Loki was truly speaking from the heart this time.

Loki tried to sort out the best way to address his conflicting feelings before continuing his speech. "Sometimes I'm envious, but never doubt that I love you." He concluded simply.

The brothers stood staring at one another for a moment then Thor placed his hand on Loki's shoulder.

"Thank you."

Loki smiled back at his brother and decided that he had had enough of this serious talk. "Now give us a kiss…" he teased with a gleam in his eyes.

Thor lightly slapped Loki's helm and laughed. "Stop!" He warned in the same teasing manner.

The brothers' laughter was soon interrupted by a female's voice.

"Oh my! What a sight this is. Tell me, how came the princes of Asgard to be so jovial _before_ the coronation? I thought that the wine was not to be served till _after_ the big event." The voice teased.

The brothers turned around to the sight of a girl standing at the far end of the corridor.

"Sigyn!" they both practically yelled before running down the corridor to greet her.

Sigyn ran to meet the two princes halfway as fast as her restrictive gown would allow her.

While giggling she threw her arms around Loki first, and then Thor. Thor lifted her in the air and spun her around a couple of times before setting her on her feet once more.

"Tell me sister how did you come here?" Thor enquired.

"By the Bifrost as I always have." She teased while pulling back slightly from her eldest half-brother so she could better see Loki too.

Loki rolled his eyes and pressed her further. "You know Thor does not refer to your means of transportation, but to how you were allowed to be here. You have not lived in Alfheim a full ten years yet, and I didn't believe you were allowed to come visiting during your sojourns there."

Sigyn's eyes sparkled blue with excitement. "Tis true, but Sylvath was invited to the coronation…"

"So all you had to do was bat your eyes to convince him you should be allowed to come as well." Loki finished.

"As strict a father as Sylvath can be, even he is not immune to the charms of a daughter." She replied playing along with Loki's jest.

Loki began to laugh lightly at his younger half-sister's expense. It was true that when she wished to Sigyn could put on a mask of pure innocence that would melt even the coldest Frost Giant's heart.

"I do not know why you are so amused Loki, it is a trick I learned from you." She teased.

Loki merely rolled his eyes, and Thor addressed Sigyn.

"I am glad you could be here sister!"

"I would not have missed it for all of the Nine Realms." She assured him.

"You must hurry into the hall and take a place next to mother before the ceremony begins." Thor encouraged.

Sigyn shook her head a little and smiled. "I am not dressed appropriately for such an important event. I just arrived and did not have time to change out of my travelling gown." She said while indicating her dress.

Loki and Thor looked her over wondering what she could be talking about. Sigyn was wearing a glimmering wine red gown in the style of the Light Elves. It hugged her torso tightly, but became fuller around mid-thigh. The straps seemed to be merely for show since they hung loosely off her shoulders. The red in the dress brought out the red undertones of her dirty blonde-hair, which she had kept halfway back today. The white ornate markings that travelled up her right hand and arm all the way to her collarbone were completely visible, as were the ones next to her right eye. These beautiful curved lines were a reminder of her Light Elf bloodlines. While the brothers couldn't see anything out of place in her attire, they knew arguing with their stubborn half-sister would be pointless.

"So you have taken all the trouble to get here, but you will not be witnessing the ceremony?" Loki asked in an unbelieving tone.

"Do not be ridiculous Loki, of course I will be watching."

"From where might I ask?" Thor asked curiously.

"From our spot." She replied with a smile.

"Surely you don't mean the rafters where we used to spy on the court from?" Loki asked.

"What _other_ spot do we have?"

"Someone will see you up there and demand you get down." Thor pointed out.

"Nonsense, no one will even notice I am there."

"And how do you plan on managing that?" Loki asked in an amused tone.

"Magic." Sigyn stated before shooting her brothers a mischievous smirk. She turned and left the corridor to find her and her half-brothers' secret spot.

The brothers shook their heads at Sigyn's retreating figure and then took their places at the other end of the corridor once more. After a moment of silence Thor finally spoke up.

"So really, how do I look?" He asked after fixing his gaze back on his helm.

Loki looked over and inwardly sighed. "Like a king." He took a deep breath to clear his thoughts of envy and then spoke once more. "It's time…"

Thor took a moment before responding. "You go ahead."

Loki looked at Thor in slight concern, and Thor met his brother's gaze.

"You go ahead." Thor needed a minute to himself before his triumphant moment. "I'll be along, go on."

Loki paused a second more and then gave his brother a small smile before making his way into the grand hall. Thor stood there a little longer, and after taking a breath to calm his nerves, he entered the great hall.


	2. A ruined celebration

Author's Note: Alas I should have put this in the first chapter, but mistakes happen. Needless to say the first chapter is a play on a deleted scene from Thor. I obviously took my own artistic liberty with the scene, and you can expect that throughout the rest of the story. I will not change events that are cannon per say, but since we are not 100% sure what will happen during Thor: Dark World, Captain America: The Winter Soldier, etc. I am taking a few liberties. As for the disclaimer: I own nothing. Sigyn is an adaptation of the one found in Norse Mythology, not Marvel. In fact I don't know anything about her Marvel counterpart. The rating is 'M' for violence, torture, and suggestions of sexual situations. The word 'damn' will pop up two or three times, but that is the only language you will find. Well that takes care of the housekeeping issues. Enjoy!

* * *

Sigyn left Loki and Thor, and after glancing around to make sure no one was present, she teleported herself to the spot where she would watch the coronation. Loki had addressed the spot as being in the rafters, but that was not truly accurate. The spot was actually a small ledge that was large enough to fit all three siblings when they were younger, but would probably only be large enough for Sigyn now. She sat on the ledge and swung her feet over so they were dangling in the air. The noise of the crowd was deafening. It seemed that the entire city of Asgard was in attendance for the coronation. Sigyn let her gaze wander to the throne where the AllFather sat. He was wearing his full amour just as Thor and Loki were earlier. Sigyn's mother, Frigga, stood on the top step to Odin's right. The Warriors Three stood on the steps to Odin's left. Loki stood on the step below Frigga, and Lady Sif was on the step below Loki.

Loki glanced up to the spot where he knew Sigyn was sitting. Though he couldn't see her, his magic told him it was because she had veiled herself from prying eyes. He threw a knowing smile in her direction before the crowd's roar caused him to turn his gaze towards Thor, who was making his way down the length of the great hall. Thor's antics as he approached the throne caused Loki to roll his eyes, and he imagined that a look of distaste was probably plastered on his face. While Loki loved Thor, he could not approve of his ridiculous behavior. This was not the way a king should conduct himself…

Sigyn noticed Loki looking up at her, and she blushed. She knew that he couldn't see her, but somehow he always managed to sense where she was. A sudden cheerful outburst from the crowd told Sigyn that Thor had finally made his appearance. She quickly turned to face him, and she couldn't help but shake her head at his childish behavior. You would have thought that he was drunk at some lavish banquet, not being handed the throne of Asgard. Despite his childish flaws Sigyn knew that Thor had the potential to be a great king, but part of her still questioned the AllFather's decision to hand him the throne so soon. As she watched her eldest half-brother kneel before the throne she shook her doubts away. Odin always seemed to have a reason for his actions so surely he wouldn't crown Thor before he was ready…would he? Even the AllFather could make mistakes…

As Thor began to take his oaths Sigyn glanced at Loki. Despite his best efforts, Loki looked downcast. It was a look that she had seen over and over again through the centuries, and it broke her heart. Loki always knew that the throne would go to Thor, and he had admitted to her more than once that the throne was never something he really desired. Thor was the eldest son so it was only right in the eyes of society that he should succeed Odin as king. Loki understood that, but Sigyn knew that that knowledge could not dispel the fact that Loki felt pushed aside yet again. It was difficult for Loki; he was not the typical Asagardian. His dark hair, lean frame, and striking green eyes stood in contrast to the normal appearance of the Æsir. If his looks were not enough to set him apart, than his brooding personality, affinity for magic, and soothsaying were. Loki was respected, if not feared, by many, but all of the glory and honor went to Thor. Sigyn knew that Loki had saved Thor in battle more often than Thor had saved Loki, but Thor's acts of physical valor always overshadowed Loki's instinctive thinking. It was obvious to Sigyn that Loki craved equality with Thor in the eyes of Asgard, and most of all, Odin. Though it was probably of little consolation to Loki, Sigyn had always seen him as Thor's equal. It was his differences that drew her to him. Loki was one of the few people who understood the struggle Sigyn faced with her own differences, and for that reason she had always been closer to him.

Sigyn refocused on Thor as he took his final vows. Just as Odin was about to pronounce Thor king, he froze. Sigyn looked at the AllFather in concern. Was he about to fall into the Odinsleep? Her heart rate began to quicken as Odin's lips moved, forming words that she could not hear from her spot high above the crowd. Whatever he had whispered sent the crowd into a flurry. People where running in all directions and Thor was rushing out behind Odin. Sigyn felt a hand grasp her shoulder causing her to lose her balance. She quickly lifted her concealing spell, and an arm shot around her waist catching her before she could fall off of her precarious perch. Sigyn immediately recognized the arm that caught her as Loki's, and she assumed he had teleported to her spot to tell her what in Odin's name was going on.

Loki hadn't been able to see Sigyn when he reached the spot where he knew she was sitting, and in his attempt to grab her hidden form, he had almost knocked her off of the ledge. Fortunately she had had the sense to reveal herself in time for him to grasp her. Once they were both standing safely, she spoke up.

"What is going on Loki?"

"Frost Giants…"

The look in Sigyn's eyes told him that he didn't need to explain any further.

"Where have Thor and Odin gone?" she quickly asked.

"To the vault…"

"The Casket! We must hurry to them!" Sigyn declared transporting Loki and herself off of the ledge.

She was unable to transport them directly into the vault thanks to protective magic that she herself had cast over the important room. Instead, she teleported them right outside the vault's doors. She was about to make her way in when Loki grabbed her arm.

"Let Thor, Odin, and I handle this Sigyn. You should find Sylvath and let him know that you are safe." Loki urged.

Sigyn wanted to join her brothers and the AllFather, but she knew that Loki had a point. Sylvath would be worried sick if he could not find her. Sigyn nodded in agreement with Loki's request.

"Very well, but the moment you and Thor have finished you both must meet me in the library to tell me what has happened."

Loki agreed to her request and entered the vault as Sigyn left to find Sylvath. After leaving Loki, Sigyn took a moment to quiet her mind before trying to reach out to Sylvath. Normally this would be an easy task, but there was still a multitude of people running about the palace in a frenzy. She was finally able to drown out the ruckus and reach out to Sylvath telepathically.

"_Father?" _ The voice inside her mind asked.

"_Sigyn?"_ He replied.

"_Where are you?"_ she quickly asked.

"_With your mother in the throne room."_

"_Is all well?" _

"_Yes, my dear."_

"_I will be there momentarily." _

Sigyn broke the connection, relieved that her aging father was safe. She teleported herself to the throne room where she found Frigga and Sylvath waiting for her. She quickly embraced her mother whom she had not seen in almost eight years, and then quickly embraced Sylvath. The ancient Light Elf was the closest thing to a biological father that Sigyn had, and she was comforted to know that he had not been harmed by the Frost Giants.

"What damage has been done?" Sigyn asked Sylvath hoping that his magical powers were strong enough to see past her protective enchantments that surrounded the vault.

Sylvath closed his eyes for a moment and the white markings on his hands and face began to turn golden. "The only casualties are the guards that were in the vault, and the Frost Giants who invaded it… I cannot be certain, but I do not believe anything was taken." He replied before opening his eyes once more, and the golden markings returned to their white state.

Sigyn took a deep breath and relaxed slightly. She knew Loki and Thor would be able to confirm or deny her father's statement when she met them in the library.

"Tell me Sigyn, is not the protection of the vault and its artifacts your charge?" Sylvath queried.

Sigyn nodded her head.

"How is it that they were able to enter it?" he pressed.

"I am not sure…" Sigyn responded truthfully, hanging her head ever so slightly.

Frigga took her daughter's chin in her hand and raised her head so that their eyes met. "This is not your fault Sigyn. Do not torture yourself with guilt."

Sigyn gave Frigga an appreciate smile before growing serious once more.

"The magic of the vault is more concerned with protecting the individual items held within. The Casket is guarded by the destroyer, and other important items are guarded by spells that only I can bypass. It is impossible to teleport into the vault, which means that the Frost Giants just walked in through the front door."

"Why would you keep people from teleporting in, which is a rare ability to begin with, yet leave the front doors unprotected?" Sylvath questioned.

"That is what worries me, the doors are not unprotected. There is a seal that reserves entrance to the vault for specific people. The AllFather, Thor, Loki, Frigga, myself, the guards of the vault, and several other high ranking Asgardian officials are the only ones who have access to the vault." Sigyn explained.

"And that is why you are concerned." Sylvath replied now understanding his daughter's worry. "Either an extremely powerful sorcerer managed to break the seal, allowing the Frost Giants to enter, or…" he broke off.

"Or what?" Frigga asked in a worried tone. Neither her daughter nor Sylvath answered her. Instead, they regarded each other with a look of mutual understanding.

"Father you are the most powerful sorcerer in the Nine Realms and not even you could have lifted the seal…" Sigyn pointed out.

"You realize what you are implying then, do you not?" Sylvath asked.

"I do." She replied firmly.

Frigga, normally calm in these situations, finally lost patience. "What is going on!? What are you saying?"

"There is a traitor in Asgard." Sigyn replied in a tone that left not room for argument.


	3. Things Fall Apart

Author's Note: I just wanted to warn you all that most of the chapters that I post will be fairly short. Also, there are a couple things within the document itself that I should explain. Whenever you see a '...' in between sections it is an indicator that either we are changing points of view or that time has passed. Currently _italics _are being used for emphasis or telepathic passages. Later on _italics _will also indicate a memory or flashback. Anyway please enjoy Chapter Three!

* * *

Loki could not believe that he was letting Thor talk him into going to Jotunheim. This was more than just a stupid idea it was madness. He was, however, able to convince Thor to stay in Asgard long enough to speak with Sigyn.

"_Sigyn, Thor and I are heading to the library." _

"_I will be waiting."_ She replied a moment later.

When Loki and Thor entered the large room Sigyn was indeed already waiting for them. She walked brusquely up to them with a questioning look in her eye.

"We are going to Jotunheim." Thor declared before Loki could speak.

"What!?" their younger sister asked in disbelief.

"We have no other choice. They only came for the Casket this time, but next time they might come with an army. That is a risk I will not take." Thor replied, his voice rising in volume.

"And what do you think about all of this?" Sigyn asked Loki in a tone that said, _"Surely you can talk him out of this!"_

Loki shrugged his shoulders. "Thor does have a point for once."

Sigyn placed her hand on her forehead in disbelief. "I cannot believe that you are both willing to go against the law of Odin." She began to pace in frustration, causing her half-brothers to shift uncomfortably. "I suppose you are dragging the Warriors Three and Lady Sif into this as well?" she continued in an accusing tone.

"Do not make it sound as though we are forcing them to come along." Thor replied defensively.

"They chose to follow me into Jotunheim because they too see the danger it poses!"

The three stood in awkward silence for a moment before Sigyn finally spoke up again.

"I am going with you." She stated.

The brothers looked at each other and then back to Sigyn.

"I would not consider that advisable…" Loki began.

"It is entirely out of the question!" Thor interjected.

"And why is that!?" Sigyn turned on her brothers, anger flashing in her eyes.

"Because Sylvath would immediately notice your disappearance and alert Odin of our whereabouts." Loki replied effortlessly, hoping his famed silver tongue would smooth Sigyn's ruffled feathers.

He could sense that his words had calmed her anger, but the set look of determination in her gaze said that she was not giving up this fight. Loki glanced at Thor from the corner of his eye and could tell he too was trying to come up with a tactic to keep their younger sister out of harm's way. Sigyn was a fighter, but if anything happened to her on this trip they would risk pulling Asgard into war not only with Jotunheim, but Alfheim as well. Loki sighed inwardly. There was only one way to keep Sigyn from going, and as much as he didn't like it, he figured it would be easier to ask forgiveness than to ask permission. Sigyn's magic was stronger than his, but if he could catch her off-guard then she wouldn't have a chance to put up a fight.

"Sigyn, Loki is right. It is not that we doubt your ability, but even the slightest misstep and Asgard could be looking at war with two realms." Thor argued.

Loki noticed that Sigyn was focused on Thor, and took the opportunity to overpower his sister. He quickly sprung forward and placed his right hand on Sigyn's forehead. A spark of recognition flashed through Sigyn's eyes, and Loki knew that he had been caught in the act. Luckily, it was too late for Sigyn to react to Loki's spell. She gave him a final piercing look before her eyes closed. Loki was able to grab Sigyn before her body could hit the floor, and he gently carried her unconscious form to a nearby reading chair. The pain of Loki's betrayal was clearly written on her sleeping face.

"She is going to have some strong words for you later brother." Thor said with a hint of a smile.

"I will be lucky if it is merely strong words." Loki replied with a small grin. He and Thor left the library and headed to meet Lady Sif and the Warriors Three. Right now Loki needed to focus on their upcoming trip to Jotunheim, he would have time to worry about Sigyn's wrath later.

…

Sigyn groggily opened her eyes and sat up. Panic swept over her body when she realized her brothers had left her. By now they would be on their way to Jotunheim…

"Jotunheim!" she exclaimed to herself.

She had to alert the AllFather of Thor's plan. Her magic was too weak after Loki's spell to teleport herself to the throne room so she began to run down the hallways as fast as her dress would allow. She decided to try and reach Loki telepathically in a final effort to stop this foolish mission.

"_Loki can you hear me?"_

Sigyn paused for a moment hoping to hear her half-brother's voice, but no response came.

Sigyn reached the throne room and the guards opened the doors without question. Odin sat on his throne while his advisors bickered amongst themselves. Sylvath and Frigga both saw Sigyn enter, and gave the frazzled girl a concerned look. Sigyn approached the throne and went to one knee in front of Odin.

"My Lord." She greeted, placing her right fist over her heart.

"My daughter… where are your brothers?" Odin inquired in a tired tone.

"It is of them that I have come to speak to you my Lord. Thor, Loki, Lady Sif, and the Warriors Three have gone to Jotunheim."

The council members had not heard Sigyn's proclamation and continued to bicker. Odin, on the other hand, rose from his throne.

"They have gone where?" He asked, anger beginning to creep into his voice.

Sigyn took a deep breath. She knew she was going behind her brothers' backs, but had Loki not just gone behind hers? "To Jotunheim My Lord…"

Sigyn had spoken louder this time and the council members stopped their arguing and turned to her in shock.

"Foolish boy…" Odin said almost to himself.

"Are you sure of this Lady Sigyn?" a doubtful male voice asked.

Sigyn identified the speaker as Forseti and inwardly cringed. She and Forseti had never been on the best of terms. She was not aware of what slight she had ever given him, but he had always had a certain distaste for her nonetheless.

"There is no doubting it." Sigyn replied while standing up.

The room went silent and all eyes fell on Odin. Before Odin could speak however, the throne room doors opened and a nervous guard entered the room. He quickly went to one knee before the AllFather.

"My Lord, I bring word from Prince Loki."

"Speak." Odin commanded in anticipation.

"He sends word that Thor is leading himself, Lady Sif, and the Warriors Three to Jotunheim in search of an explanation for today's breach."

Odin looked to his wife, and Sigyn could see the fear in their eyes. The others present must have assumed it was fear for the safety of their sons and the severe consequences that their rash decision could have, but Sigyn knew there was another cause as well.

"What is your course of action?" Sylvath inquired.

Odin paused before responding and looked at Sigyn.

"_I tried to stop him." _Sigyn admitted to the AllFather telepathically.

Odin nodded his head ever so slightly in her direction, acknowledging that he understood her meaning. She was the only other person aside from Frigga and himself that knew of Loki's true parentage. Without another moment of hesitation, Odin addressed those present.

"I will go to Jotunheim and retrieve my sons. I only hope I will be there in enough time to divert a war."

Odin quickly left the room and Sylvath approached Sigyn. "It is time we return to Alfheim."

"Father? You mean to have us leave before my brothers return!?" Sigyn asked in shock.

"I will not discuss this. If your half-brothers return they could be bringing a war with them. I will not have my only child in harm's way if I can avoid it."

Sylvath gave a bow to Frigga and the remaining council members before striding out of the room. Sigyn had no choice but to follow, but before leaving she quickly ran over the Frigga.

"I love you mother." She said while embracing Frigga.

Frigga held on tightly to her only daughter while resting her chin on top of her head. "I love you too Sigyn."

They held on to each other for a moment longer before Frigga pulled away and held Sigyn at arms length. As she gazed into Sigyn's blue-green eyes she couldn't shake the feeling that she may never see her daughter again.

"Always remember how proud I am of you. You are a beautiful and intelligent young woman with Thor's heart and Loki's wits. There will come a time when they will need you, and when that time comes do not be afraid to make difficult decisions. Follow your heart and remember that no matter the outcome, your mother will still love you."

Frigga planted a kiss on Sigyn's forehead before sending her off after Sylvath. She watched the dirty-blonde girl scamper out of the throne room, and her heart sank as the loneliness of saying goodbye to her only daughter washed over her.

Sigyn couldn't shake the odd feeling that had come over her while she had said goodbye to her mother. She didn't have long to ponder it, however, as a wave of frustration over her father's actions surfaced. She knew that Sylvath's intention in leaving was to protect her, but she couldn't help but be angered by the fact that once in Alfheim she would have no way of knowing whether Loki and Thor had survived their journey into Jotunheim. Sigyn could sense the ill-fated outcome of this adventure. As she and Sylvath approached the Bifrost, Sigyn caught glimpse of Heimdall, and she rushed ahead of Sylvath to stand next to the guardian of the Bifrost. Heimdall's gaze was unwavering and Sigyn knew whom it was that he watched.

"Are they safe?" she asked in a calm tone.

"They are alive…" was his solemn reply.

Not a ringing endorsement, but it was good enough for Sigyn. Sylvath reached the spot where Heimdall and Sigyn stood.

"Has Odin gone to Jotunheim yet?" Sylvath enquired.

"No, my Lord. You wish to return with Lady Sigyn to the Alfheim?"

Sylvath nodded and Heimdall opened the Bifrost. Reluctantly Sigyn took Sylvath's arm, and they walked into the portal.

…

Days went by, yet no word had been sent to Sylvath or Sigyn regarding her family on Asgard. Sylvath could sense his daughter's growing agitation. She wasn't focusing during her lessons, and when she wasn't pacing around the house, she was taking extended walks in the garden. He knew Sigyn was probably trying to figure out a way to communicate with Loki telepathically despite being in a different realm than he, but Sylvath knew that that was an impossible feat for her. It was not until the third day that Sylvath noticed the weary look on Sigyn's face. After her lessons that day Sylvath decided to ask his daughter to escort him through the gardens. Sigyn agreed to the arrangement and took her father by the arm. They walked in silence, and Sylvath studied his daughter's gloomy countenance.

"What is troubling you Sigyn?"

"You know very well why I am disheartened." Was her curt reply.

"I know that the lack of news from Asgard worries you, but there is something else that is afflicting you." Sylvath replied in a kind tone.

Sigyn glanced his way, and after thinking for a moment led him to a small bench. The pair sat down and Sigyn began to fiddle with her hands.

"Father, you are the most powerful magician in all of the Nine Realms surely you could see into Asgard." She commented hopefully.

Sylvath took his daughters hands and smiled sadly. "Sigyn if I could you know I would, but my powers are not what they used to be. The amount of magic required to perform such a feat would be unimaginable at my age…"

"Then teach me!" Sigyn interjected.

Sylvath shook his head. "By the time you would have mastered the skill, news from Asgard would probably have already reached us."

Sigyn took her gaze away from her father and looked out at the sunset.

"I dread the nights now…" she finally confessed.

"What is there to fear?" Sylvath asked in a worried tone.

"The night means I must sleep, and sleep means I must dream. I am obliged to admit that my dreams of late have frightened me."

Sylvath looked at Sigyn with a deep concern growing inside of him. These dreams must be what were causing Sigyn to look so forlorn.

"What have you dreamt?" he pressed cautiously.

Sigyn sighed and began explaining what she had seen. She described Thor being banished on his return from Jotunheim, Odin falling into the Odinsleep, Loki ascending the throne and arranging a deal with Laufey, Loki lying to Thor about Odin's death, and the fear of Asgard on the brink of war. Sigyn seemed to honestly believe that these dreams were just that, dreams. Sylvath, on the other hand, knew better. He realized that his daughter could not harbor any unkind thought towards her most beloved half-brother, nor could she believe that Odin would banish his own son, but Sylvath was certain that what Sigyn was seeing in her dreams where the events that were actually taking place on Asgard.

Sigyn was half Asgardian and half magic of Sylvath's own making, and the magic that flowed through her genes gave her powers that not even Sylvath could match. As of yet her powers were not completely under her control, but once properly trained, Sigyn would be a force to be reckoned with. Sylvath decided to leave the subject of Sigyn's dreams alone for the time being, and he and Sigyn went to dinner. While Sigyn's attentions were diverted Sylvath slipped a potion into her drink that would allow her to sleep without dreaming. Normally he would feel bad about something like this, but Sigyn desperately needed the rest. Father and daughter retired to their rooms, and Sylvath prepared himself for what he was about to do. He needed to know if Sigyn's dreams were actually true events, and to do that he would have to use the same magic that he had told Sigyn would be too dangerous for him to attempt earlier that evening. Silently he closed the drapes to his windows so that he was enveloped in darkness. He sat in a nearby chair and closed his eyes. Summoning all the magic he had at his disposal he carefully put his mind toward breaking past all barriers so he could see the events taking place in Asgard. He sat there motionless for hours, and just when he began to think that there was no hope of success, he felt his mind spin and visions of Asgard began to fill his mind's eye. He watched silently as Sigyn's half-brothers fought on the Rainbow Bridge. Once the events had played out and he withdrew his mind from Asgard, Sylvath knew that he would not be able to break the news to Sigyn. In the end, he told himself there would be no need. News from Asgard would reach them soon enough now, and he pitied the messenger who would have to inform Sigyn that Loki fell.


	4. A child of two worlds

Author's Note: The _italics_ in this chapter do not indicate telepathic thoughts. Sigyn is merely thinking to herself.

* * *

Sigyn was awoken the next morning by an insistent banging on her door. She quickly sat up and reached for her silken night robe. She had slept peacefully without a single dream, and something told her that she had Sylvath to thank for that. Normally she would have been upset by such an underhanded action, but given the circumstances she would let it slide. The pounding on the door continued so Sigyn hurried to answer it. Standing outside her room was Armallia, Sylvath and Sigyn's only maid. The poor girl looked petrified.

"What is wrong Armallia?" Sigyn asked quickly.

"It is your father My Lady. I went in to clean his room this morning and found him slouched over in his chair. He isn't responding to me and his breathing is weak."

"Come with me!" Sigyn hastily commanded before running down the hall to Sylvath's room.

Upon entering Sylvath's chamber, Sigyn found her father in the exact position Armallia had described. She sent the frightened maid to the kitchen to get water and a towel, and then went over to him. His breathing was indeed weak, and he wasn't responding to Sigyn's voice. She quickly placed her right hand on her father's forehead and began quietly chanting. The white markings on her skin began to turn golden as her healing magic flowed into Sylvath. Her father began to stir and she was able to get him into his bed. Armallia returned with the towel and water, and Sigyn bade her to bring her and her father's breakfast into his room. Armallia again went off towards the kitchen while Sigyn began administering the cool towel to Sylvath's forehead. After a few minutes Sylvath began to rouse.

"…Sigyn?" He asked in a weak voice.

"Yes father, it is I."

Sigyn could tell from the look in Sylvath's eyes that something was troubling him.

"Father what has happened? Why were you collapsed in your chair?" she asked in a soothing tone.

"It was nothing my child, I simply stayed up too late last night practicing a new spell." He lied.

Sigyn rolled her eyes at Sylvath's pathetic lie. There was not a known spell in the Nine Realms that he did not already know. He might not have the power in his old age to practice them, but he certainly knew them.

"You will have to do better than that father. You forget, I am half-sister to the 'god of lies' himself."

Sylvath tensed ever so slightly at the mention of Loki's well-deserved title, and Sigyn's heart seemed to race.

"You looked into Asgard as I requested," Sigyn exclaimed, "that is why you are so weak!"

The sudden flash of fear crept into Sylvath's eyes, and Sigyn knew she had judged correctly.

"You saw Loki didn't you?"

Sylvath refused to answer causing Sigyn's temper to rise.

"What did you see!?"

Sylvath still refused to answer.

"Tell me!" Sigyn pleaded in a raised voice.

Sylvath looked into his daughter's eyes. There were no tears, simply concern. In that moment he realized that he must tell Sigyn the truth, but that she was strong enough to handle it. He gently grabbed Sigyn's small hands in his own and looked into her eyes.

"Those dreams that you have been having were no mere dreams. You were being shown what was taking place in Asgard."

Sigyn did not flinch at his pronouncement, and Sylvath began to feel that she had known it all along but had been unwilling to accept it as the truth. Sigyn's calm demeanor encouraged him to continue with his news.

"Last night I confirmed this by looking into the realm of Asgard itself. I witnessed your half-brothers fighting on the Rainbow Bridge, and to keep Loki from destroying Jotunheim Thor was forced to destroy the Bifrost…"

Sigyn tensed slightly, but she quickly relaxed and gave Sylvath's hand a reassuring squeeze.

"There are other ways for me to send you to Asgard when the time comes…" Sylvath began, but Sigyn just shook her head.

"I trust you father, but now is not the time to discuss it. I believe that you have not finished your tale."

Sylvath knew he could no longer put off the truth, and he took a deep breath. "The shockwave sent Thor and Loki off of the Bridge. Odin was able to awaken from his sleep in time to save them, but at the last moment Loki… he…"

"He let go…" Sigyn finished in a quiet voice.

Sylvath didn't ask Sigyn how she knew; he didn't have the heart. The pair sat in silence till Armallia arrived with their breakfast.

"Do you need assistance eating father?" Sigyn inquired as she helped him to a sitting position.

"No, my child."

"I will return shortly then."

Sigyn stood up and gracefully left the room. Sylvath didn't attempt to stop her. She needed a moment to grieve in peace.

"Is the Lady Sigyn not eating?" Armallia asked in confusion.

"No, I do not believe she will be… would you care to join me?"

Armallia looked as though she might refuse, but a growl from her stomach was enough to persuade her to join him. The two ate in a comfortable silence while across the house a solitary voice raised a soft melodious lament.

…

Sylvath had been correct in assuming a messenger from Asgard would be sent to inform Sigyn of her brother's death. He arrived shortly before dinner and was escorted to Sylvath's bedroom since he was not strong enough to leave his bed. Sigyn had changed into her mourning gown, and a long black veil hung from the braided coronet her hair had been placed into. Since she had not left the house since receiving the news of Loki's death she had not bothered to actually cover her face with the veil. She was not surprised that the All-Father had found a way to send a messenger to Alfheim despite the destruction of the Bifrost since Sylvath had already informed her that there were other ways to travel between realms. Sigyn's only wish was that it could have been Odin, Frigga, or Thor who was here to bring her he news. Unfortunately the rules regarding Sigyn's stays in Asgard and Alfheim prohibited the visitation of Sylvath when she resided in Asgard and the house of Odin while she lived in Alfheim.

"My Lord. My Lady." The messenger greeted while bowing. "I come bearing a message of grief, but from the looks of your attire, you must already know my news…"

Sigyn nodded. "Indeed sir, I am aware of the death of my half-brother."

"How did the news reach you so quickly My Lady?" The messenger asked curiously.

"The power of the light elves is strong." Was her only reply.

The messenger nodded in understanding. "I am very sorry for your loss My Lady. I did not know the Prince personally, but I can proudly say he died a hero. To die protecting Asgard from the Frost Giants is an honorable death indeed."

The messenger did not see Sigyn's eyes flash green momentarily as she thought silently to herself.

_"So that is the story Odin gives? Another lie… does he still not see the damage his lies can cause? If only he had done as Frigga and I requested Loki might still be with us!"_

The messenger's worried voice brought Sigyn from her thoughts.

"My Lady? Is everything all right?"

_"Of course. My brother has died, but I am perfectly fine."_ Sigyn thought while inwardly rolling her eyes at the ridiculous question. Not being able to say anything nice, she decided not say anything at all and merely nodded her head in response.

"I fear it is time for me to return to Asgard My Lady. I am very sorry for your loss." The messenger replied before bowing and taking his leave.

Once the messenger left, Sigyn moved from her chair beside Sylvath's bed and went to sit in the window seat. Sylvath allowed her to sit in silence. There was nothing he could do or say that would lift the weight of Loki's death from his daughter's mind. Sigyn stayed with Sylvath into the evening reading and ensuring his comfort, but she refused the dinner that Armallia brought her. She ensured that he went to sleep early, and after pulling her sheer black veil over her face Sigyn went to stroll alone under the stars. Sleep would not come to her that night or the nights following. Her veiled form flitted across the gardens like a wandering ghost as she reminisced about the late night walks she had taken with Thor and Loki, and how those walks would never be the same again.

…

Loki's funeral was held in Asgard soon after his fall from the Rainbow Bridge. Sylvath was still far too weak to send Sigyn to Asgard so she was forced to mourn alone. In public the only outward signs of her mourning were her black dress and veil. While staying inside the house Sigyn was not required to cover her face so only Sylvath and Armallia could see the drastic transformation that was taking place. Sigyn was beginning to lose weight from her fasting, and her eyes lost their green tint leaving them a misty blue. What worried Sylvath most, aside from her refusal to eat, was the fact that his daughter's eyes were not red or puffy from crying. Sigyn had not even appeared to have shed tears over Loki's death. Sylvath feared that her lack of crying was a sign that Sigyn was internalizing her grief, which could prove dangerous. As weeks passed Sylvath began to gain enough strength to take leisurely strolls in the gardens accompanied by Sigyn. It was during one of these ambles through the garden that Sylvath finally broached the subject of Loki's death.

"How much longer do you plan to stay in mourning Sigyn?"

"Asgardian law would dictate that I stay in mourning for seven days, but the laws of Alfheim prescribe a mourning period of at least six months for a sibling…"

"So you have chosen to follow the laws of Alfheim given that the seven days of Asgardian mourning have long passed, and yet, fasting is not a tradition of Alfheim."

"That is true, but I am a child of two worlds. Fasting is an Asgardian practice. On the seventh day there would have been a great feast celebrating Loki's transition into the afterlife."

"Trying to blend the practices of both of your homes is an interesting concept Sigyn, but surely you do not intend to fast for your entire six months of mourning…"

Sigyn avoided Sylvath's gaze so he stopped in his tracks forcing Sigyn to stop also.

"Sigyn look at me." Sigyn's eyes slowly met his own and he could see the determination in them. "Sigyn this has gone on for long enough. You are wasting away in front of my very eyes, and I will not watch you starve yourself for five more months!"

Sigyn smiled a small smile at him. "Father I have no intention of starving myself. I do not have a death wish."

Sylvath pulled the veil off of Sigyn's face to study her expression. She merely continued to smile at him and grab his hand.

"If it will ease your mind father, I will break my fast." She replied, giving his hand a small squeeze.

Sylvath nodded slightly, and gazed into her eyes. He had feared to see an empty look in her light-blue orbs, but instead he was met with a new look of maturity. Her eyes seemed to swim with magic, and Sylvath began to realize that Sigyn had been keeping herself busy with more than simply mourning these past few weeks.

"I think someone has a confession to make." Sylvath teased playfully.

Sigyn bit her lower lip subconsciously. "I think _confessions_ is a more accurate way to describe it." She admitted.

Sylvath gave her a curious look, and Sigyn knew there was no way she was going to be able to dodge the issue.

"I am not sure Loki is dead." She confessed.

"Sigyn I saw him fall…" Sylvath began in an exasperated tone.

"Yes, but into what? You saw him _fall_, but he was still _alive_. This is not wishful thinking father." Sigyn assured. "Just because Loki fell into an abyss does not mean it killed him." She pointed out.

"No, but the likelihood of his survival is miniscule at best."

"That may be so, but I have reason to believe he is still alive."

Sylvath pulled away from Sigyn in shock. He looked for any sign that she was lying, but was met with an unfaltering gaze. She was telling the truth, or at least she believed that she was.

"Did you dream again?" he asked cautiously.

Sigyn shook her head "no".

"Then what has given you reason to believe that Loki is alive?" Sylvath enquired.

"I saw him…" She replied vaguely while beginning to meander through the garden again.

"What do you mean you saw him?"

Sigyn began playing with her hands, a nervous habit that she had had for centuries.

"I was looking over a few new spells the other day from books I had borrowed from your collection. When I went to return the books to your study this morning I suddenly became dizzy. The world began to spin and my vision fell into darkness."

Sigyn moved towards a group of pink flowers that Midgardians called chrysanthemums. She took more interest in the flowers than usual, allowing time for her to formulate the best way to tell Sylvath her story.

"When I opened my eyes I expected to find myself collapsed on the floor of your study. Instead, I was still standing, and I was certainly not in your study. I heard a male voice crying out in pain, but I couldn't move from my spot in the shadows. I quickly appraised my surroundings, and I found myself in a dark rocky landscape. It was far too cold for my taste, and I could hear no sounds aside from the pained voice. Unable to move my feet, I looked around the boulder I was standing behind to see if I could determine whose voice I was hearing. In a small clearing I spotted a man collapsed and writhing on the ground. His back was to me, but I could tell from the clothing that it was Loki. A second form approached and began to circle Loki. I could not make out this creature's features, but he was rather tall and was not from any realm that I know of. He spoke to Loki in a voice so low that I couldn't make out a single word he uttered, but whatever he said caused Loki to try and block the words out by covering his ears. I could hear the creature laughing almost to himself as Loki continued to alternate between murmuring, moaning, and, on occasion, letting out a bloodcurdling scream. I wanted to call out to Loki, to comfort him, but I was both paralyzed and mute. I don't know how long I stood there in shock before Loki finally turned over on his side to face me. He should have been able to see me from where I was peeking out from behind the boulder, but his gaze seemed to go right through me. In a final effort I tried to reach out to him telepathically, but my magic was of no use."

Sigyn paused for a second, and Sylvath could tell that she was lost in the memory of what she had seen. Sylvath didn't want to pull Sigyn out of her trance-like state, so he stayed standing in silence till she continued speaking again.

"I was left helpless to protect Loki, and while my mind told me to look away from the pitiful sight, I could not. His eyes seemed sunken in and lifeless. I could see the terrible effects of his weary suffering. No longer was I gazing at the proud younger Prince of Asgard, but a frightened child. I couldn't help but wonder what kind of torture could break Loki in such a way. As his screams began anew my vision began to blur. Once again the world began to spin, and when I next opened my eyes I found myself no longer standing in some strange unknown world, but back in your study." After another pause Sigyn finally looked toward Sylvath again. "I do not believe I will ever be able to erase the terrified look in Loki's eyes or his agonizing screams from my mind"

Sylvath calmly approached his daughter and pulled her into a comforting embrace. Sigyn did not respond at first, but after a moment she tightly wrapped her arms around Sylvath's waist like she used to do as a child when she was frightened. Sylvath led her back into the house and convinced her to at least attempt eating dinner. Armallia seemed uncomfortable as Sigyn merely picked at her food, but Sylvath had expected that that would be the case. It would take a few days for Sigyn's appetite to return after her lengthy fast. After dinner Sylvath and Sigyn spent their evening reading in the library, and when Sigyn finally retired to her bedroom, Sylvath began to think over the disturbing vision she had described to him earlier.

Most would probably have written off Sigyn's vision as a side effect of her lack of sleep and fasting, but Sylvath could not. If she had been an ordinary member of the Æsir or Álfr he too might have come to that conclusion, but as it were, she was not an ordinary member of either realm. Sigyn had not been conceived through any act of physical intercourse, but through a spell. When Frigga and Odin had come to him searching for a way to conceive a daughter Sylvath had agreed, but even he could not say that his reasons were not selfish. He was not married, and had no children of his own. Instead of pursing marriage, Sylvath had pursued the study of magic. While he had become the most powerful sorcerer in the nine realms, he couldn't deny that he had longed for the warmth and love of a family. Sylvath had agreed to the AllFather and Frigga's request under the condition that once the child was born and had spent ten years in Asgard, she would come live with him for ten years in Alfheim. Every ten years Sigyn was to alternate living between the two realms until Sylvath died, at which point she could choose to live in either realm permanently. The terms seemed odd to many, but Odin and Frigga had readily agreed to them. Sylvath cast the spell, and Frigga bore Sigyn nine months later. A daughter of two worlds: material and magic. It was this unique duality, and Frigga's own gift of foresight, that caused Sylvath to believe Sigyn's tale.

Sylvath spent several more hours in the library looking for anything that might point to where Loki was. Sigyn's description of the strange creature that was with him and the eerie locale was vague at best, but it was a starting point. If she had anymore visions she might be able to elaborate further, but at least Sylvath knew not to bother looking into any of the Nine Realms. Some believed the Nine Realms to be the only ones in the universe, but they were mistaken. The universe was filled with many realms. The Nine Realms were merely those realms that were populated enough to be of note. Sigyn had never been to any realm outside of Alfheim and Asgard, but she had studied the other seven realms extensively. Any resemblance of the mysterious world where Loki was currently residing to one of the known Nine Realms would not have passed by Sigyn unnoticed. Sylvath would start his research on the lesser-known realms, and hope in the meantime that Sigyn would have another vision.


	5. An unorthodox request

Weeks flew by without another vision, leaving Sigyn feeling more isolated than ever. Instead of allowing her growing restlessness to distract her, she channeled it into her studies. The mastery she was beginning to show in the healing arts of the Light Elves was astounding, and her once relatively untamed magical abilities were becoming more and more refined. By the end of her six-month mourning period Sigyn had undoubtedly become the most powerful, if not polished, sorceress in the Nine Realms, but there was still something she lacked: stamina. Sigyn's powerful spells drained her too quickly for her taste, so she finally approached Sylvath with an idea of how to improve her endurance.

"Father, may I have a word with you?" Sigyn asked upon entering her father's study.

Sylvath gave a small startled jump at his daughter's words. He had been facing the bookshelf, and had not heard her enter the room. It was no simple task for someone to sneak up on him. He assumed it was a talent she had learned from Loki, since Thor had certainly not mastered the skill of stealth.

"Of course ástin mín." Sylvath replied while placing his book back on the shelf.

"I think I have come up with a way to help improve my endurance."

"Really, and what might your solution be?" Sylvath asked.

"My lack of stamina is not due to any scarcity of magical energy, but because my body can't handle the strain of utilizing that amount of energy for an extended period of time."

"Astute observation Sigyn, but identifying the problem is not a solution." Sylvath pointed out. "What are you really trying to get at?" He enquired while raising a curious eyebrow.

"That I need to be given the opportunity to improve my physical conditioning. I have been allowed to train with Lady Sif, the Warriors Three, and my brothers when on Asgard so I do not see why my physical training cannot be continued while I am here." Sigyn argued.

Sylvath pondered Sigyn's words for a moment before responding. It was true that improving her physical capabilities would ensure that her body would not break down under the intense strain of her magical exertions, but there were few that could train her in the proper way. Sigyn's physical and magical combination fighting style was quite unique. It was rare for a warrior to rely on both. Most sorcerers and mages, Sylvath included, avoided physical altercations when possible, while most warriors scorned all magical practices. Odin was one exception, but even then, his knowledge of magic was rather basic, and he certainly did not utilize it in battle. The only other person who had had a fighting style similar to Sigyn's was Loki, and he was in some unknown realm. Sylvath had become lost in his musings, but was brought back to the present by Sigyn's concerned voice.

"Father?"

"Yes Sigyn?"

"Are you all right? You seem a bit distracted…"

"I am fine ástin mín. I believe your idea has merit Sigyn, but there is no one here in Alfheim that can help train you to utilize your magic in your fighting style…"

"But I am not asking for that father. You don't seem to understand my request. I am very capable of creating my own style of fighting. All I need is someone who can help me train my body enough to withstand the use of magic for an extended amount of time."

Sylvath sighed. "That is not the easiest request to fulfill either. We Light Elves are not warriors like the Asgardians. We are healers, mages, and guardians of nature. We are a small realm, and have not been at war since the Dark Times. The number of warriors in Alfheim are few, and it is likely that most of the ones left would not be willing to train a female…"

Sigyn seemed about to protest, but Sylvath raised his hand to silence the words that were forming on her lips.

"Do not act as though the warriors on Asgard are happy with females fighting either. I know what a struggle it was for Lady Sif to be allowed into the guard, and you were not barred from training simply because of your position as a Princess. You know as well as I do however, that even though you have been trained to some extent you will never be allowed into actual combat."

Sigyn could not argue with Sylvath's observations, but she crossed her arms in defiance anyway.

"Now if you will stop pouting, I will continue with what I was saying. It is true that most of the warriors left in Alfheim would be unwilling to train you, but that does not mean all of them would refuse."

Sigyn dropped her hands to her hips, and a flash of green lit up her eyes. "Who?"

"His name is Celleth."


	6. Into the past

Author's Note: Hello everyone! Just a heads up that this chapter contains the first flashback sequence, and it is rather long. There are a couple of good stopping points if you need to leave the chapter for a little bit. I should also mention that reviews, etc. are welcomed as long as they are constructive or encouraging in some form or fashion. As long as you don't just complain about things without offering a solution I would love to hear what you have to say.

* * *

The morning Sigyn and Sylvath were to go meet Celleth was a long one for Sigyn. She hadn't slept well the night before. She couldn't stop wondering if Celleth would train her or if he would refuse. Celleth had informed Sylvath that he wanted to see Sigyn in person before agreeing to train her. He had also requested that she wear her full armor, which is what Sigyn found herself standing in front of at this moment. She pulled the intricate garment out and laid it on her bed. Sigyn's armor was more ceremonial than practical. There had never been any reason for her to own practical armor since she would never be allowed into battle. She quickly pulled off her nightgown and began to put on the complex armor.

The black, gunmetal grey, and deep reddish-pink outfit was a mix of leather, metal, and cloth. She started by pulling on her black socks, leather pants that seemed to mold to her legs, and deep reddish-pink under tunic. The tunic, which she tucked neatly into her pants, had long tight-fitting sleeves and came up around her neck in a similar fashion to a turtleneck. The second layer of the armor consisted of a skort that matched her tunic with an addition of gunmetal colored scale armor over her left leg. The third layer of her ceremonial armor was almost like a dress. The dress was made of interweaving leather and cloth and reached the top of her knees. The bottom section of the front of the dress was cut out so that Sigyn's skort was showing. The back of the dress was split into four sections from the waist down. The two larger sections were on the outside, and two smaller sections were in the middle. The slits that were formed allowed Sigyn's skort to slightly show through, and allowed for better movement. The bodice of the dress was form fitting, and from the shoulders up was made of leather. There were no sleeves on the dress it simply covered her shoulders. The neckline of the dress was similar to a turtleneck, but it was left open at the throat, much like Loki's light armor was. The similarities between Sigyn's ceremonial armor and Loki's light armor were rather uncanny. Sigyn had always assumed that her armor had been designed that way due to the similar fighting styles she and Loki had adopted.

Sigyn finally finished putting on her armor, and took a look in her full-length mirror. As pretty as the armor looked, Sigyn was well aware that it lacked enough real protection to be worn in combat. If she truly wanted to engage in battle she would need more metal armor, like the scale armor on her skort. Giving her reflection another scan, Sigyn realized that she had forgotten a very important piece of armor. She quickly returned to the bed and retrieved the vambraces that had been left sitting there. As she strapped the matching gunmetal vambraces on she couldn't help but let her mind wander back to the day she had received them…

_Knock, knock, knock._

_"Hold on!"_

_Knock, knock, knock._

_"Just a moment!" _

_Knock, knock, knock._

_"Goodness gracious, show some patience Thor!" Sigyn finally yelled at the door as she adjusted the skort to her new armor one last time. _

_"Sister you have been in there hiding long enough! Loki and I want to see your new armor before the celebration!" Thor's voice boomed through the door._

_"Actually, this was all Thor's idea." Loki's smooth and somewhat bored tone corrected. "I was perfectly content to wait and see you at dinner." _

_"I haven't finished my hair yet." Sigyn complained._

_"Your hair is of no concern to us Sigyn." Thor said in what was supposed to be a reassuring tone._

_Loki could apparently sense Sigyn's insult because she heard Thor give a grunt as Loki elbowed him in the side._

_"All Thor means is that your hair probably looks lovely, and therefore should not cause you any concern if we were to see it."_

_Sigyn rolled her eyes, but knowing Thor probably meant no offense she went and opened the door anyway. _

_"It is about time." Thor said with a playful smile._

_Her eldest half-brother entered the room and looked Sigyn up and down. _

_"Well, well, well." He murmured thoughtfully. "Loki and I will have to be sure and keep an extra careful eye on you now. Every warrior in Asgard will be vying for your hand after seeing you in this ensemble. Aren't I right brother?" Thor teased, causing Sigyn's cheeks to turn a bright shade of red._

_Loki, who had been leaning on Sigyn's doorframe, sauntered into the room. "I do not believe that will be much of an issue brother." He replied casually._

_Sigyn sent Loki a look of unveiled disappointment, and she began to feel more and more uncomfortable as her brothers stared her down. "Do you not believe that a man could find me attractive Loki?" Sigyn asked, in hopes of Loki contradicting what she thought his previous statement had meant._

_"I suppose it depends on how you define attractive." Loki responded._

_Anger began to well up in Sigyn at her brother's thoughtless words._

_"Fine, let me rephrase my question. Do you mean to suggest that a man could not find me desirable?"_

_"Sigyn, I am sure Loki is suggesting no such thing…" Thor tried to interject before a feud could break out._

_"I suppose it would depend on the man. Maybe there is someone who will find you desirable." Loki answered Sigyn, ignoring Thor's attempt to divert an argument. _

_Sigyn's anger burned in her eyes, but it was merely a façade to hide her hurt. She knew that she was not tall and beautiful like the other Ladies of the Æsir. Sigyn was small and petite. She did not have the beautiful curves of the Ladies that graced the court, and her hair was a dirty blonde color instead of the shimmering golden locks that graced the Æsir, and many of the Álfr as well. Sigyn was not unattractive, but the only compliment she ever received from men was that she was cute. Never had a male called her beautiful or glamorous, it was always cute. As if her small frame and unglamorous hair color were not enough, there were her Light Elf markings. Sigyn had always been fond of the curved marks that trailed up the right side of her body, but it was a constant reminder that she was a mixed child. If Sigyn had been of pure Light Elf blood her markings would have covered her entire body, but she was only half. She was not sure if these markings were considered to be unattractive to the men of the Æsir, but considering none had ever shown interest in her, she assumed that they were not helping her cause. _

_After standing awkwardly for a few moments, Sigyn's hurt pride finally overtook her. She turned on her heel and began to head towards her vanity._

_"You must send my apologies to mother and father." She spoke in a cold tone. "I do not feel well, and will not be attending the celebration this evening." She stated, removing her intricate circlet and placing it in its silk lined case. _

_Thor and Loki sent confused looks at each other._

_"Sigyn this celebration is in your honor! It is your first night home after your stay in Alfheim, and your friends wish to welcome you back." Thor argued._

_"Thor I have been making the journey between Alfheim and Asgard for centuries now, there is no special reason why I should be in attendance tonight. You know as well as I do that the Æsir look for even the smallest excuse to celebrate. My absence will hardly be noticed." Sigyn pointed out._

_Loki rolled his eyes. "The absence of the Guest of Honor is highly unlikely to go unnoticed." He retorted. _

_"As I said before, you may send my sincerest apologies to the guests. Please inform them that I wish them to enjoy themselves despite my absence. Now if you do not mind, I would ask you both to leave my chamber so that I may prepare to retire."_

_Sigyn had sat down at her vanity by this point, and was now running a brush through her hair. She had not bothered to look towards her brothers during this exchange, but kept an eye on their reactions in the reflection of her mirror. _

_Thor looked as if he was about to protest yet again, but Loki sent him a look that told him not to bother._

_"If those are your wishes then we will see that Frigga and Odin are made aware of them." Loki replied before turning on his heel and swiftly leaving the room._

_Thor's heavy footsteps were close behind, and Loki could hear the door to Sigyn's chamber slam shut. He could plainly see that his words had wounded Sigyn, but he could not see why. Sigyn surely understood that a woman of her temperament would not be considered desirable to a majority of the men in Asgard. She was smart and independent. She did not seek out male attention through pointless flirtations. Instead, she preferred to crush them in a heated debate. A woman like that was considered intimidating at the least, and purely terrifying at the worst. It would require a very specific kind of man to take interest in Sigyn, one who could match her in both intelligence and passion. Out of the men that Loki knew on Asgard, there were none who could rival her in either. _

_It took a few minutes for Loki and Thor to reach their parents chambers, and Loki ignored Thor's attempts to start a conversation. Once outside the giant double doors, Loki knocked firmly. _

_"Come in." Frigga's calm voice quickly beckoned._

_Loki and Thor each pushed one of the doors open, and entered the chamber. They each gave a quick bow to their mother and father, and the former responded by taking each of her sons into a warm embrace. _

_"What a lovely surprise! Your father and I did not expect to see you till tonight's celebration." Frigga explained as she fussed over Thor's cape and Loki's hair. Once she was satisfied with her work, Frigga took a step back and clasped her hands together. "My, what handsome sons we have!"_

_Odin joined his wife and placed a loving hand on her shoulder. _

_"Very handsome indeed." He replied. "While I am sure they appreciate your attentiveness to their attire my dear, I do not believe that is the reason they have come to see us." _

_Thor and Loki looked at one another for a moment. Thor was eldest so he should be the one to deliver Sigyn's message, but Loki was the better speaker of the two. Loki knew Sigyn's excuse was a lie and he believed that if anyone should deliver it, it should be the 'god of lies'. Apparently Thor felt the same way, and he gave Loki a nod of approval to speak._

_"As father has so astutely observed, our purpose in visiting is not merely leisure. Thor and I have just returned from seeing Sigyn, and I am afraid we have been tasked with informing you that Sigyn is feeling ill and will not be attending tonight's ceremonies."_

_Frigga's formerly smiling face twisted into a look of concern. _

_"She is feeling ill?" She enquired. "Was she running a fever? Did either of you offer to fetch a healer?! Sigyn is rarely ill! If she is feeling unwell, then something serious must be affecting her!" _

_Frigga was beginning to work herself into a frenzy, so Odin interrupted her before she could get any more carried away._

_"I am sure Sigyn feels fine my dear. Perhaps it is simply nerves getting to her. It is the first time she would be seen in her ceremonial armor after all." He pointed out._

_"That is ridiculous darling. There is no reason why Sigyn would be worried about such a silly thing like that!" Frigga replied with more confidence than she felt, brushing off Odin's justification with a wave of her hand._

_"Perhaps it has something to do with what Loki said earlier…" Thor offered._

_Loki rolled his eyes. Was Thor honestly just figuring that out? He loved his elder brother, but sometimes Loki could not help but be shocked by Thor's lack of perception. _

_"What did you say to her?" Frigga quickly asked._

_"I only said that she might be able to find a man who would desire pursing her." Loki smoothly replied while folding his arms over his chest defensively._

_Taken out of context his comment didn't seem nearly as offensive. Loki's famed silver tongue had pulled through once again, or so he thought._

_"Oh is that what you said?" Thor interjected, "That is certainly not what I heard."_

_"What do you mean?" Loki asked, giving Thor an innocently surprised look._

_"You know exactly what I mean." Thor replied. "You essentially told Sigyn that she was not attractive enough to garner the attention or affection of a man."_

_Loki closed his eyes and shook his head. Maybe Thor had been more perceptive than Loki had given him credit for. "I never made any slight against Sigyn's appearance." Loki defended._

_"But you certainly didn't defend it either." Thor pointed out. "All Sigyn was looking for was the approval of her brothers. Would it have killed you to say something nice about how she looked?"_

_By this point Loki and Thor had forgotten the presence of their parents who were observing the scene carefully._

_"No, it would not have killed me, but at least I was not the one filling her head with silly ideas. Did you seriously think that her new armor would have attracted the attention of so many men that you and I would need to keep a closer eye on her?" Loki retorted. _

_"No, it was meant as a compliment."_

_"So you lied to her?"_

_"Sigyn knew that I was just teasing her!" _

_ "Did she? I am not so certain that she did know."_

_"Why are you turning this on me!? It was your heartless comments that upset her! The only thing she asked you was if a man might find her attractive or desirable, and you answered with 'maybe'!" Thor boomed. _

_"What did you want me to do? Lie, as you did? I have no way of knowing if men find Sigyn attractive or not."_

_"When did the 'god of lies' become so worried about lying?" _

_"I didn't want to give her false hope." Loki admitted calmly. _

_"False hope!? So you do believe that she is not attractive enough to win a man's heart!" Thor bellowed_

_"Now who is twisting whose words? I have already admitted I have no way of knowing if Sigyn will win a man's heart or not. If I were to tell her that I knew she was capable of doing so I would be lying, and therefore giving her false hope." Loki reasoned._

_By this point Thor had become so outraged by his brother's words that he seemed about ready to shove Loki across the room. Frigga, sensing her elder son's flaring temper, decided to smooth the situation over as best as she could._

_"It would not really have been lying my dear if deep down you believed Sigyn might catch the attention of some young man." She said, addressing Loki._

_Loki broke his cool gaze with Thor and looked over at the Queen. "That may be mother, but I do have to question even that."_

_"Loki!" Frigga hissed._

_"Can you honestly see any of the Æsir falling in love with Sigyn?" Loki charged. "Sigyn is an intelligent young woman. She would rather spend time reading than allowing someone to woo her. She practices magic, and relies on her brain more than her body in a tight spot. I do not recall any of these traits being considered desirable amongst the Æsir, and I of all people should know." Loki finished. _

_An awkward silence ensued for a moment as Loki's words sunk in. No one in the room could deny the truth of Loki's statement regarding Sigyn, and in a round-a-bout way, himself. Sigyn's practice of magic and pursuit of knowledge was grudgingly accepted because she was a female, but Loki's interests in those areas were scorned almost outright by most. As a male Loki was expected to train as a warrior, and while he did train physically with Thor and his friends, it was obvious that it was the least of his concerns. Loki was a strategist who preferred the use of magic and throwing knives to a fistfight. Loki's comment about men not finding Sigyn attractive or desirable was in essence his way of complimenting her. He didn't believe that any were smart enough to see her true value. _

_"So it is Sigyn's personality, not her appearance, that you believe the men of the Æsir would object to?" Odin finally voiced._

_"Indeed. If I may be frank, they don't deserve her."_

_The royal family fell back into silence. It was rare for Loki to show that much honest emotion with anybody, and no one was quite sure of how to act. _

_"I appreciate your sentiment Loki, but couldn't you have just bolstered Sigyn's confidence a little? I know how nervous she was about showing up to the gala in her new armor. She was feeling a bit out of her comfort zone…" _

_"You know as well as I do mother that I have never been able to lie to Sigyn." Loki interrupted Frigga before bowing and leaving his parents chambers._

_Loki stalked back down the hall to his own chambers. He quickly grabbed a random book from his collection and took a seat at his desk. He flipped through the pages in a haze hoping he would find something amongst them that would divert his attention from Sigyn and the argument he had just had with Thor. Why was it so difficult for everyone to see that he had intended no slight towards Sigyn? While Loki knew Thor's anger would die down quickly, he also knew that Sigyn's scorn would not be as quick to fade away. Sigyn would often take a confrontational approach to arguments. Her sharp tongue and explosive personality could sometimes even rival Thor's, although she tended to be much less violent than the 'Golden Prince'. Every so often however, Sigyn would take an approach that was a bit subtler. From the cool and detached reaction she had given in her chambers earlier, Loki could tell Sigyn was taking this second approach. For the next few days she would be detached, aloof, and sickeningly formal. It was her idea of punishment. Sigyn was well aware that Loki enjoyed spending time with her because of their common interests, and since he was only allowed to enjoy her company every ten years he always monopolized her time while she was in Asgard. Depriving him of one of the few things he enjoyed was her way of forcing him to pay for his "slight" against her. Loki slammed his book shut in anger and he began to pace the room. _

_"How old is she, five!?" He vented to himself. "No I should not say that, I would not wish to offend a five year old…"_

_Loki knew that if he wanted to quell Sigyn's anger before she could begin taking it out on him he would need to do something, and fast. There was no way in Odin's name he was going to apologize. As far as he was concerned, he had nothing to apologize for. He threw a quick glance around the room, and his eyes landed on his full-length mirror. That is when an idea struck him. He quickly grabbed what he needed and began making his way to Sigyn's chamber. He needed to hurry if he still planned on convincing Sigyn to attend the night's festivities, which were to begin within the hour._

_…_

_Sigyn stood in front of her mirror studying herself. She had already taken off the top two layers of her armor and had un-tucked her dark pink tunic. She turned from side to side examining herself._

_"I am not that bad looking." She concluded before flopping down on her bed._

_She had sent Thor and Loki out of her room over half an hour before, but she was still feeling rather uneasy from the encounter. If Loki, her brother and best friend, couldn't find her attractive then who could? Loki had never been able to successfully lie to her before, so Sigyn knew he meant what he had said. "Maybe there is someone who will find you desirable"…it wasn't exactly a reassuring comment. She placed her arm over her eyes and tried to block the memory out, but a loud banging on her door interrupted her. _

_"Really Thor?" She whined to herself. _

_"Sigyn are you in there?" Thor's worried voice asked._

_"Maybe if I don't respond he will think I am not here…" she thought._

_"Sigyn please answer!" He begged._

_"You will not give in Sigyn! Do not respond!" She commanded herself silently._

_"Sigyn the door is locked so I know you are in there. Stop ignoring me!" Thor pleaded._

_"Damn." She muttered under her breath. She sat up on her bed and crossed her arms. "Thor I do not feel well. Would you desist banging on my door?"_

_Thor stopped the pounding, and then addressed her. "I know that you are not ill Sigyn. Please do not let Loki's poorly thought out words discourage you from enjoying tonight's celebration. You will be sorely missed."_

_"I have no intention of attending the party Thor. I would not wish to offend the eyes of the gentlemen who will be in attendance." Sigyn replied, sarcasm dripping from each word._

_"I have already spoken to Loki about what he said earlier. He had no intention of offending you. In fact, he had meant for it to be a compliment of sorts."_

_"Thor you are an even worse liar than Loki. A compliment? Ha, even Loki's silver tongue couldn't twist those statements into a compliment." _

_"I think you might be surprised, he did make a pretty good case for himself." Thor replied with a hint of a smile showing in his voice._

_"Than you are even more gullible than I previously thought!" Sigyn snapped._

_Seeing that this argument was getting nowhere Thor paused for a moment to revise his strategy before replying. "Sigyn I am begging you, be the better person. Show Loki your maturity by coming to the celebration." _

_"I would rather die." She replied overdramatically while plopping back down on the bed. _

_"Now you are just overreacting!" Thor admonished. _

_"Thor you know I love you, but this conversation is done." _

_Sigyn took a deep breath and softened her tone._

_"Thank you for coming to speak with me, but in all honesty I am in no condition to go to a party tonight. I think it would be best if I got some rest. Please go and enjoy the evening, I would hate to think that I have ruined the night for you too…" Sigyn requested._

_"Very well." Thor replied in a defeated tone. "Sleep well sister." _

_Sigyn listened as Thor's footsteps faded down the hallway. Once she was sure he was gone, she buried her face into her pillow and began to cry. _

_…_

_Loki was turning around the last corner to Sigyn's chambers when he heard Thor's voice. Loki quickly veiled himself from his brother's eyes, and approached quietly. Apparently, he had stumbled upon the middle of yet another argument. _

_"I have no intention of attending the party Thor. I would not wish to offend the eyes of the gentlemen who will be in attendance." Sigyn's voice said._

_ Loki cringed slightly at the bitter sarcasm._

_"I have already spoken to Loki about what he said earlier." Thor replied, leaning his forehead against the door. "He had no intention of offending you. In fact, he had meant for it to be a compliment of sorts."_

_Loki couldn't help but be surprised at Thor's defense of him, especially after the argument they had just had._

_"Thor you are an even worse liar than Loki." Sigyn shot back. "A compliment? Ha, even Loki's silver tongue couldn't twist those statements into a compliment." _

_"I think you might be surprised, he did make a pretty good case for himself." Thor replied with a small amused smile. _

_"Than you are even more gullible than I previously thought!" Sigyn snapped._

_It was obvious to Loki that Thor's reasoning was getting no place fast with Sigyn. She was digging her heels in as usual. Loki would blame her stubbornness on Thor, but he had a sneaking suspicion that it was just her nature. _

_Thor had apparently come to the same conclusion as Loki because the next time he spoke, he tried a different tactic._

_"Sigyn I am begging you, be the better person. Show Loki your maturity by coming to the celebration."_

_Loki's pride bristled at that comment. What did Thor mean by "be the better person!?" Was Thor still blaming all of this on him? Loki didn't have enough time to get too upset by it since Sigyn replied almost immediately._

_"I would rather die."_

_"Now you are just overreacting!" Thor admonished._

_"Thor you know I love you, but this conversation is done."_

_There was a pause before Sigyn continued. When she did speak again however, her voice took on a softer tone. _

_"Thank you for coming to speak with me, but in all honesty I am in no condition to go to a party tonight. I think it would be best if I got some rest. Please go and enjoy the evening, I would hate to think that I have ruined the night for you too…"_

_"Very well." Thor replied in a defeated tone. "Sleep well sister." _

_Loki remained still and quiet as Thor stood outside the door for a moment more. Once it became apparent that Sigyn was truly done talking, Thor straightened his armor and took off down the hall towards the banqueting room. Loki waited till his brother's billowing red cape was no longer visible before he lifted his concealment spell. He softly made his way to Sigyn's door, and was about to knock when a soft sound inside her room caused him to pause. Loki pressed his ear against the door to better ascertain if what he thought he heard was actually happening. It took only seconds to realize that he was hearing sniffles and little gasps for air in between. Sigyn was crying. Loki stood there numbly. He had not seen Sigyn cry in centuries. It wasn't that he didn't think she cried anymore, it was just that he hadn't experienced it since they were extremely young. Loki shrugged off his discomfort, and instead of knocking he decided to quietly teleport himself into her room. _

_Once inside he found himself standing by the door, and he didn't budge from that spot. He placed his hands formally behind his back to hide what he had brought her. Normally Sigyn would have had no issue spotting Loki when he used magic, but apparently she was too wrapped up in her own world to notice him. Sigyn was lying face first on her pillow while sobs racked her body. Loki couldn't understand why his words had affected her so. This didn't make any sense. Even if his intention had been to say that she was not beautiful, why was she crying over it? It certainly wouldn't fix anything. That is when he thought of his own appearance. Didn't he feel offended when people commented on his looks? Did he not become defensive when people pointed out his green eyes, jet-black hair, or pale skin? Frigga's words from earlier echoed in his mind. _

_"She was feeling a bit out of her comfort zone…" _

_Didn't Loki himself know how that felt? Was not his own discomfort visible every time he trained with Thor and the Warrior's Three, most notably when they found it prudent to take their tunics off to "cool off?" _

_"More like show off." Loki thought to himself. _

_Yes, Loki knew exactly how Sigyn must feel. Neither of them was considered attractive by the normal standards of the Æsir. Still, there were plenty of women in the court who had found him alluring enough. He supposed there would always be girls who found his more "exotic" looks to be captivating. He smiled to himself as he thought about the impressive number of women he had seduced through his charm. Not as many as Thor of course, but Loki valued quality over quantity. _

_"What are you so smug about?" Sigyn queried, pulling Loki from his thoughts. "Did you come to gloat over your silver tongue's handiwork?" _

_Loki quickly set his face into a serious gaze before replying. "No." _

_Sigyn was standing by her bed with her hands on her hips. All of her tears had been dried, but the redness around her eyes betrayed her crying. _

_"I don't recall permitting you into my room, and if you are going to make teleporting in a habit I will be forced to place protective spells on my chamber." She stated calmly._

_Loki fought the urge to retort back. Instead, he took a step forward before addressing her. "I promise there will be no need for that."_

_"You still have not answered my first question." Sigyn pointed out._

_"I am here to convince you to attend the celebration."_

_"Thor has already tried to do so, what makes you think that you will fare any better?"_

_"Because Thor is not known for his power of persuasion." _

_"That may be true, but he has given me no offence and you have. If the one I hold as blameless in this scenario cannot convince me into going what makes you think that you, as the guilty party, can?" Sigyn challenged._

_"The simple fact that I know you better than Thor. I know how to get past your stubbornness to force you to see reason, while Thor merely played to your emotional sensitivity." Loki argued._

_"You heard what he said?" Sigyn asked unsurprised, and Loki simply nodded his head. "Why am I not surprised? So does he know you were hiding there?"_

_"Who says I was hiding?" Loki replied while trying to feign innocence. Not surprisingly, it didn't fool Sigyn._

_"Loki you cannot lie to me so please don't embarrass yourself by trying." Sigyn responded as she moved towards Loki and leaned on the banister of her bed. "Now enough banter. If you hope to make it to the banquet on time you best speak your peace and leave."_

_"So you will allow me to defend myself?" Loki asked quirking a brow. _

_"I have made no official charge against you so any defense you may make is also your own admission of wrong doing." Sigyn retorted, giving Loki a mischievous smirk. _

_"Damn her." Loki cursed silently to himself. He had let her back himself into a corner. If he said anything now he would have to admit that he was aware that he had wronged her. Instead of letting Sigyn see his inner frustration however, Loki decided to keep from drawing this argument out any longer than necessary. That means he would have to play Sigyn's game._

_"It has been brought to my attention that my words from earlier this evening wounded your pride. From the display of tears I just witnessed I assume this report to be true."_

_"I was not crying!" Sigyn lied._

_"Sigyn you cannot lie to me so please don't embarrass yourself by trying." Loki admonished, turning Sigyn's words against her. "As I was saying, I never intended for my words to be taken as an insult to your physical attractiveness." _

_Sigyn tried to interject her own thoughts, but Loki shook his head. "Please let me finish Sigyn." His sister rolled her eyes, but waved her hand to bid him to continue. "It was foolish of me to think you would understand the implication of my words without their context. When I referred to the fact that men might consider you desirable I was expressing my doubts on the subject. However, these doubts that I harbor do not stem from your physical attractiveness. If I harbor any doubts as to your desirability amongst the men of the Æsir I would have to blame them not on you, but on their stupidity."_

_"Their stupidity?" _

_"Yes, their stupidity. Intelligence and magic are among your better traits, but what member of the Æsir prizes them as I do? There are few in Asgard who can see your strengths and appreciate them, and of those few none of them rank among the warriors that will be in attendance tonight. If I were to have been truly honest earlier I would have answered your queries with a flat out 'no'. The warriors Thor referenced earlier will not find you attractive. You are far too great a threat to the dominance they desire for them to pursue you." _

_Sigyn didn't want to believe what she was hearing. Loki was implying that a majority of the Æsir were complete fools, and that she was too good for them. As harsh as he had been, Sigyn couldn't help but feel a little flattered. She had always looked up to Thor and Loki when they were growing up, and to receive any praise from them used to make her the happiest kid alive. Given her reaction to Loki's veiled approval, it seemed that her older brothers still had that effect on her. Anyone else would have assumed Loki's admission was a lie, but as she had pointed out earlier Loki had never successfully lied to her. As she gazed into her brother's deep green orbs she knew that he was telling her the complete truth. Even though Loki had come to as close of an apology as she could expect, Sigyn was not completely ready to let him off the hook yet._

_"Charming words brother, but perhaps I am not ready to forgive you just yet?" _

_"I came prepared for your stubbornness Sigyn." Loki informed her accompanied by a smirk._

_"Oh really?" _

_"Yes really, but you will only receive your surprise if you allow me to escort you to the celebration." Loki bargained hoping that Sigyn's curiosity would win-out. _

_"Dang it!" Sigyn thought in frustration. Loki knew her too well. How could she stay mad at him when he sought her out of his own free will to explain himself, and brought a surprise along? _

_"Deal." Sigyn accepted, letting a smile light up her face._

_"Good, close your eyes and hold out your hands." Loki demanded._

_Sigyn gave him a questioning look, but did as he asked. She felt him lay a bundle in her outstretched palms, but waited to open her eyes till he gave the ok._

_When Loki finally told Sigyn to open her eyes, he was greeted with a look of innocent surprise. Her reaction pulled an honest smile from Loki, which was a rare occurrence._

_"But Loki… don't you need these!?" she asked, turning her shining blue-green eyes up to meet his. _

_In her slim fingers Sigyn clutched Loki's vambraces._

_Loki shook his head 'no'. "Those have grown too small for me." He explained. "I noticed earlier that you were not given any, and no armor, ceremonial or not, is complete without vambraces."_

_Sigyn clutched them to her chest protectively as if Loki might try and take them back. It was not so much the gift itself that touched her, but the thought Loki had put into it. He truly was trying to make things up to her. _

_"Don't forget your part of the bargain Sigyn. The banquet is probably starting by now, and it is missing its Guest of Honor." Loki quipped._

_Loki waited as Sigyn quickly threw on her last two layers of armor, and then assisted her in putting on her new vambraces. With that task complete she quickly went over to her vanity to begin fixing her hair. Loki was not really in the mood to wait any longer so with a wave of his hand Sigyn's hair arranged itself from a long straight wind tossed look to a cascade of curls._

_"Impatient aren't we?" Sigyn noted out loud while quickly applying a tiny hint of makeup._

_"I don't see why you always insist on doing things that you could just as easily do with magic." Loki admitted._

_"I feel as though I need to be able to do things like normal people Loki. There may come a day when I can no longer rely on my magic, and if that day comes I want to be ready." Sigyn confessed as she pulled her circlet from its case and placed it on her head._

_"How do I look?" Sigyn asked while fidgeting with her new vambraces._

_Loki looked her over and then grabbed her hands. He brushed his thumb over her knuckles before leaning down to place a playful kiss on her forehead._

_"Beautiful." He honestly replied. _


	7. Celleth

"Sigyn? Are you ready to leave?" Sylvath's voice beckoned.

"Yes father!" She quickly replied before grabbing her traveling cloak and running out the door.

The walk to Celleth's home from Sylvath's was rather lengthy so Sigyn decided to pass the time by trying to learn more about the Light Elf she was going to be meeting.

"So Celleth was a warrior during the Dark Times? Is that how you came to know him?"

"Yes, I was a full-time healer during those days." Sylvath explained. "He was severely wounded in a battle with the Dark Elves, and was brought to me."

Sigyn didn't know much about the Dark Times, she had yet to be born and Sylvath refused to talk about them much. What she did know was that it was a time when the Nine Realms were at war. The unsteady peace that followed had not been broken until Asgard's most recent conflict with Jotunheim.

"Do you believe that he will take me on as a student?"

"I am not sure, but if anyone would take you on, it would be him."

"How can you be so sure?"

"Because Celleth was never one for convention." Sylvath concluded.

Sigyn decided to ponder Sylvath's last words for the remainder of their walk. It wasn't till they reached the woods however, that she began to understand their meaning.

"Strange," she commented, "I didn't believe many Light Elves lived in the forests."

"That is because most do not." Sylvath pointed out.

"I am starting to see what you meant by him not being 'one for convention'." Siygn replied as they made their way through the dense trees.

"Oh ástin mín you have seen nothing as of yet…" Sylvath responded with a smirk.

The pair had followed a winding overgrown path for almost another half-hour when Sigyn spotted a small house a few paces ahead. Once they reached the front door Sylvath knocked firmly, and a moment later a woman answered. Sigyn couldn't hide the surprise in her eyes at the woman standing before her. She was not a Light Elf, but a Dark Elf. The woman's dark eyes and grey tinted skin stood in stark contrast to the grey eyes and fair skin of man that stood behind her.

"So this is your daughter?" The man, whom Sigyn took for Celleth, inquired.

"Yes, this is my daughter Sigyn."

Sigyn gave a small curtsy to Celleth and the strange woman, which earned a laugh from the former and a smile from the latter.

"There is no need for such formalities here young lady." Celleth assured. "My wife and I are not accustomed to the ways of the high courts."

Celleth's wife jabbed him playfully in the ribcage with her elbow, winning a small annoyed grunt from her husband. "Celleth, do not tease the girl for her good manners! Please, come inside." She beckoned to Sylvath and Sigyn.

Father and daughter entered the small house and removed their cloaks. Celleth's wife, who introduced herself as Manavana, invited Sylvath and Sigyn to take a seat while she went to fetch some fruit juice and sandwiches. Sylvath, Sigyn, and Celleth were seated in silence when Manavana returned with the tray of food and took a seat beside her husband. Not wishing to make her guests feel uncomfortable, Manavana decided to bring up the subject that everyone had on their minds.

"So tell me Sigyn, why are you interested in training with my husband?"

Sigyn took a bite of her sandwich before replying. "I utilize a very unique style of fighting that requires employing high levels of powerful magic. Unfortunately, my physical body is not able to keep up with my magical energy. If I wish to be prepared to fight, I must improve my physical stamina."

"And what exactly do you need to be prepared to fight for? The realms are not at war." Celleth inquired.

"I do not know…" Sigyn admitted. "It is difficult to explain. I have no proof that a war is coming, but I can sense the imbalance of the realms. My heart tells me that this uneasy peace we find ourselves in now, is about to crumble."

Sigyn noticed Manavana's hand squeeze Celleth's arm, but, whatever this gesture meant, Celleth seemed to ignore it.

"Even if your heart is right and the Nine Realms do find themselves once again at war, why should I train you? Shouldn't I worry about training the men who will actually fight in it?" Celleth asked in a condescending tone.

"And why should only the men be allowed to fight?" Sigyn shot back.

"Because it is tradition." He replied with a shrug.

"That is odd, I had been told that you were not normally one to hold to traditions." Sigyn replied in a mock-disappointed tone.

Celleth raised an eyebrow in amusement.

"You certainly are spunky aren't you." He noted in amusement, throwing a pleased smile towards Sylvath.

"Are you willing to train a woman or not?" Sigyn responded while ignoring his comment.

"I am not prepared to say. Stand up and let me inspect you." He requested.

Sigyn did as Celleth asked. He first came and looked her in the eye. Sigyn could sense this as an attempt to intimidate her. Unfortunately for Celleth, Sigyn was far too accustomed to staring down the AllFather and her brothers to even be fazed by his gaze. Celleth, realizing that his attempt at getting her to back down was useless, began to circle her. Sigyn felt a little less comfortable with this, but she refused to let it show. After circling Sigyn for a few minutes, Celleth finally came to stand in front of her again.

"Your armor is certainly pretty, but it is not meant for battle."

"I am very well aware of that. It is intended for ceremonial purposes only. Both of my brothers also own ceremonial armor that they do not fight in." Sigyn pointed out.

Manavana rose to stand next to her husband.

"While it might not be battle ready," she observed, "It has nice bones. It allows for movement and the layers afford some protection."

"Yes, but there is not enough metal armor aside from her vambraces and left leg." He argued.

"She is a sorceress Celleth, she cannot afford to be wearing heavy metal armor!" Manavana replied in a raised voice.

"I didn't say that she should!" Celleth defended.

"What she has is a good foundation for light armor. All she is missing is a few protective pieces." Manavana decided in a more subdued tone.

"Well since you seem to know everything about armor all of a sudden, why don't you fit her for it!" Her husband huffed before sitting on the couch to sulk.

Manavana rolled her eyes and gave Sigyn a wink.

"Are you left handed my dear?" She asked.

Sigyn shook her head.

"Which leg is your dominant leg?"

"My left leg."

"Hmm what an odd combination. This does make things a bit more complicated." Manavana mused. "You need a pauldron, but your dominant hand is not the one exposed when you are fighting left foot forward."

"Then it would make most sense for me to wear it on my left arm." Sigyn offered. "My left shoulder is the one that will be in the line of attack, and it might throw off my opponents. If they believe me to be left-handed they won't be looking for right-handed attacks."

Celleth shot Sylvath an impressed look.

"Your reasoning is sound, but don't you believe that leaving your dominant arm unprotected is an unnecessary risk?" Celleth questioned.

"A risk yes, but unnecessary, no." She answered. "The only other solution would be for me to wear two pauldrons since I have to wear one on my exposed left shoulder. While that might sound ok in theory, wearing two pauldrons would be exceedingly unpractical. The extra weight would slow me down, and it would inhibit my overall mobility."

"Aside from the pauldron, you will also need some armor on the more exposed areas of your legs and arms." Celleth pointed out.

"I think I can handle that." Manavana replied, grabbing Sigyn by the hand. "Follow me my dear."

Sigyn didn't resist as the Dark Elf led her down a hallway. It didn't take long for them to arrive at a room that reminded Sigyn of the royal armory in Asgard. Her eyes widened at the impressive sight in front of her.

"Surprised?" Manavana asked in an amused tone.

"A little…" Sigyn admitted.

"Most of this is Celleth's, but some of it is mine." Manavana explained.

"So you were a warrior too?"

"Yes, I fought on the side of the Dark Elves during the Dark Times, until I met Celleth that is." Manavana reminisced.

"The Dark Elves allow women to fight?" Sigyn asked in surprise.

"Yes, not many do, but it is considered an acceptable practice." Manavana replied while looking through some of the armor.

Sigyn began to meander around the room while Manavana continued her search. She made her way over to the weapons and began to finger the handles of the swords gently. They were beautiful weapons, but not the weapon of choice for Sigyn. She was about to walk away when a tugging on her mind caused her to look back at the weapons. An item amongst the weapons was pulling her towards it, and Sigyn knew she needed to find it.

By this point Manavana had already found the pieces of armor she was searching for, and she watched quietly as Sigyn made her way back to the weapons.

Sigyn automatically made her way to a thin metal staff. She picked it up and realized that it was lightweight, but sturdy. It only reached her eye level and was intricately designed. She did not recognize the metal it was made of, but it had the same gunmetal grey coloring that was found in the rest of her armor. As she stood silently holding the staff she could feel her power channeling itself into it. This weapon had magical properties, but none like Sigyn had ever seen before.

"It is a staff made by the Dark Elves." Manavana's voice explained breaking the trance that Sigyn seemed to be in.

"The Dark Elves? So this is yours?" Sigyn assumed.

Manavana shook her head 'no.' "That staff belonged to a Princess of Svartalfheim. Celleth captured her in battle, and in return for her life, she offered him that staff."

"Celleth released her for a mere staff!?" Sigyn questioned unbelievingly. "That does not seem like a wise trade."

"No, logically it does not make sense, but despite my husband's hard exterior, he is a bit of a softie." Manavana replied with a smile. "The Princess was young, and had no business being in the battle to begin with. Celleth took pity on her, as he did me…"

"So Celleth spared your life too?"

"No, he saved it."

Sigyn's desire to hear the story was plainly written on her face, and Manavana gave a sigh.

"You wish to hear the tale?" It was more of a statement than a question.

"If you don't mind telling it." Sigyn respectfully answered as Manavana moved to put the pauldron and other little pieces of armor on Sigyn.

"Very well. The war between Svartalfheim and Alfheim was coming to a close. With the help of Asgard it was apparent that Alfheim would be the ultimate victor. During a particularly vicious battle I was dealt a devastating blow from one of the Asgardian generals. I sunk into unconsciousness and would have bled out on the battlefield had it not been for Celleth."

Manavana adjusted the pauldron before continuing.

"Celleth was walking the field after the battle had ended, searching for injured comrades, when he stumbled upon my body. He noticed that I was still breathing weakly and could have killed me then and there. He had every right to kill me seeing as I had killed many of his comrades, but for some reason he spared my life. When I awoke I found myself unable to move. My body was numb, and I was covered in bandages. At first I believed that my own comrades had returned for me, but after scanning the tent I was in I knew that that was not the case. I was so lost in my own conflicting thoughts that I didn't notice Celleth enter the tent…"

_"How do you feel?" He asked._

_Silence._

_"Are you hungry?"_

_Silence._

_"Do you even have the capacity of speech?" He teased._

_"Of course Light Elf!" She spat back._

_"Do not take offence, it was merely a jest." He defended, raising his hands in a gesture that told her he wished her no ill._

_"Am I your prisoner?" _

_"Your words, not mine." He replied while sitting down across the room._

_"You might as well kill me Light Elf. I am not from a noble family who can offer you a reward for my safe return."_

_"Who said I sought any reward?"_

_Silence._

_"What family do you have?" He probed._

_"None. They are dead." She answered coldly._

"My cold attitude during our first encounter lasted for several days. I could not understand why my enemy was taking care of me. I plotted how I might escape his tent and find my way back to my own army, but I was far too weak to succeed in such a plan. I decided that if I was forced to stay with Celleth for the time being, I could at least attempt to gather information on my enemy that could be useful to my people. I began to soften my attitude towards Celleth in hopes of luring him into a false sense of security, but I was not prepared for what happened next. The more time I spent in his care, the more I realized that I was growing fond of him. After a few weeks I was up and moving again. It would have been the perfect time for me to escape, but I realized that I didn't want to. I blamed it on the need to still retrieve intelligence for my comrades, but deep down I knew better. I had come to like Celleth. Despite the fact that I was a Dark Elf and he a Light Elf, we had quite a bit in common. We both preferred the woods to gardens, neither of us had any family, and we shared a common interest in studying the heavens."

Manavana stopped again to examine her work. The new armor on Sigyn's upper arms and lower legs matched the gunmetal gray that was found elsewhere in her armor.

"There. All done!" She exclaimed.

Sigyn walked over to a mirror and smiled appreciatively.

"If only my brothers could see me now." She smirked.

"Forgive me Sigyn, but isn't one of your brothers deceased?" Manavana asked curiously.

"Of…of course. I just was speaking theoretically, as if Loki were still alive." Sigyn covered.

"Ah, I see. Well I best take you back to Sylvath and Celleth, they will be curious to see you in your new and improved armor."

"Of course, but you did not finish the story of how you and Celleth met."

"Well after weeks of wooing the stubborn lady, I finally won her over." Celleth interrupted.

His sudden appearance caused both women to jump slightly, but Manavana quickly recovered from her surprise and went to capture her husband in an embrace.

"I am not sure keeping me hidden away in your tent for weeks on end can be considered wooing my dearest." She teased playfully.

"I suppose it depends on who you ask." Celleth countered before placing a kiss on his wife's forehead.

Sigyn smiled at the happy couple. They were both quite old, though not nearly as old as Sylvath, but still so in love. Two mortal enemies turned lovers. Sigyn was brought from her happy musings by Celleth's voice.

"Let's take a look at your new armor."

He studied her much like he had earlier, and after a few moments he smiled.

"This is much better. Now it is light armor that will actually protect her! I am sure your old armor will be glad to get some use again." He commented to Manavana.

"I think it will." She replied.

Sigyn looked again at her arms and pauldron.

"These were yours?"

"Yes my dear, I wore them for many years."

"I promise to take care of them!" Sigyn exclaimed.

"I know you will. I would not have given them to you if I didn't think you would." Manavana encouraged. "Celleth, I think you should know that _it_ called out to her…" she added.

Celleth looked as his wife in confusion. "The staff!?"

"Yes, the staff."

"How can that be?" Celleth asked, looking towards Sylvath. "It is merely a legend…" he finished almost inaudibly.

"Apparently it is not simply a legend." Sylvath replied in a knowing voice.

The three elder elves seemed to forget about Sigyn's presence, but finally her curiosity got the better of her.

"What legend father?" She inquired, drawing six pairs of eyes to her.

"The staff in question is no mere staff Sigyn, it is Gambanteinn." He responded.

"Gambanteinn!?" She echoed in shock.

She had read about the legendary staff created by the Dark Elves. According to Sylvath even the Midgardian's had spoken of it, though their two tiny accounts of it were far from the truth as Sigyn assumed most of their ideas about the Nine Realms were.

The books that Sigyn had read on the subject had suggested that when the staff was created a powerful spell was placed over it to ensure that its potent magic would not fall into the wrong hands. It was said that the staff itself would chose the one worthy of wielding it, but that was all Sigyn knew on the topic.

"Yes, Gambanteinn. Celleth, it appears that the prophesies were true. It has indeed chosen its true owner." Sylvath stated.

Celleth nodded his head and went to retrieve the staff. After taking it from its spot he gently offered it to Sigyn. Reluctant at first, Sigyn gingerly took it from Celleth's hands. She could immediately sense the power flowing through the weapon and into her.

"The staff is yours My Lady."

Silence filled the room as Sylvath, Manavana, and Celleth waited for what Sigyn would say next.

"So does this mean you will train me?" She finally asked with eyes full of hope.

Celleth's laughter burst into the room breaking the tension.

"I hand you one of the most powerful legendary weapons in the Nine Realms, and all you can ask is 'does this mean you will train me?'!" He said unbelievingly.

"And that is why Gambanteinn chose her. She never lets power go to her head." Sylvath replied teasingly while giving his daughter a smile.

Celleth regained his composure and held out his hand to Sigyn.

"We start tomorrow." He decided.

A huge smile spread across Sigyn's face. She had done it; she had somehow convinced Celleth to train her. In her excitement she ignored Celleth's proffered hand, and instead threw her arms around his neck. Now it was Manavana's turn to laugh.


	8. The torture begins

Cold. Frightened. Abandoned. Rebuked. _Alone_.

Those were the only things that Loki knew he felt for sure. His body had seemed to become numb to the pain. There was no moon or sun to light this god-forsaken hellhole he had found himself in so the passage of time was an enigma. He could have been here for days, months, or years for all he knew. Loki let out a rattled breath. He was being allowed a rare moment of peace, if you could call it that. His tortures had ceased, but he doubted any peace existed on this planet. Maybe he shouldn't have let go of Gungnir. Maybe he should have returned to his family and thrown himself on their mercy.

Family?

What family did he actually have? He was not an Odinson. He was Laufey's son. Correction: Laufey's _abandoned_ son. Rejected by his biological father and lied to by his adoptive father. There was no telling who his real mother was. While Loki hated Odin for lying, he couldn't seem to be angry with Frigga. According to her story, she had at least tried to convince Odin to tell him the truth. She had had confidence that he was strong enough to handle it. Loki had already felt different from the rest of the _Æsir _without knowing he was a Frost Giant, how could that information have made it any worse? In fact, it would have explained many of the differences that had plagued Loki since childhood. Then there was Thor and Sigyn, his "siblings." Did he even have any true siblings?

Loki's mind began to reel.

Thor despised the Frost Giants. If he knew that the man he had called brother for centuries was truly a member of that cursed race how would he feel? It was a stupid question. Thor would hate him like the rest of his kin. Loki had seen the disgust and animosity Thor's eyes had held on Jotunheim. He imagined that if Thor had known the truth about his parentage while they were hanging off of the Bifrost, his eyes would have held that same look. What of Sigyn though? Surely she too hated the Frost Giants, but she had always been extremely loyal to those she considered friends. Would she turn on him too, or would her principals win out? Either way, Loki couldn't bring himself to hate her, or Frigga. Of his false family they seemed the most blameless for his current predicament.

Loki closed his eyes to block out the dismal landscape that surrounded him. He tried to force himself to sleep, but his mind rebelled. Every time he attempted to sleep his mind was filled with sickening visions. These nightmares were beyond gruesome, and would be enough to test even Odin's sanity. Death. Rape. Torture. Sometimes it was his own suffering and sometimes it was the suffering of those few people he still cared about. Sometimes the pain was caused by the Other, but other times it was inflicted by Loki's own hand. Loki had seen himself take his own life, kill the woman he considered to be his mother, and even mar the virtue of his adoptive sister. As his groggy mind fought the images, a melodious voice began to echo around him.

"Loki?"

His eyes shot open as he instantly recognized the speaker.

"S…Sigyn?" He replied in a hoarse voice.

"Loki!"

"Where are you?" He asked desperately trying to see her.

"Right here!" She replied from somewhere behind him.

Loki turned his head to see Sigyn peeking out from behind a boulder. Excitement lit up her face.

"H…how did you find me?"

"You can see me!?"

They asked at the same time.

Loki rubbed his temples. Surely this was yet another vision sent from the creature to torment him, to break his will.

"Loki, What is the matter? Its me!" Sigyn's worried voice called out to him.

Loki glanced back over to where she stood. She hadn't moved towards him, so Loki decided that in order to see if it really was Sigyn he would have to go to her. He rose and cautiously made his way to her on shaky feet.

"It cannot be you." He stated flatly when he had finally made his way over to where she stood.

"What do you mean?"

"There is no way you could have found me. _I_ don't even know where I am so how could you?" He pointed out.

The girl claiming to be Sigyn looked over him carefully. Without moving from her spot she reached out a hand towards his face. Loki stood his ground as her small hand went to rest on his cheek, but to his surprise the warmth he expected to feel on contact never came. Instead, Sigyn's hand seemed to go straight through him. She quickly pulled it back and looked at it in astonishment. Apparently she hadn't expected her hand to go through him as a phantom's might either. Neither spoke for a moment being too lost in their own thoughts.

Loki was beginning to wonder if this really was a vision sent by his tormentors. The people in his nightmares had always seemed real. He could see them, smell them, and touch them. The reality of the nightmares is what made them so frightening. This Sigyn, on the other hand, seemed real at first glance, but she couldn't touch him. Loki was also beginning to wonder if she was choosing not to move from her current spot, or if she was unable to leave it. Either this was a vision that was intended to plague him by keeping something that he longed for just out of his reach, or it was indeed Sigyn projecting herself here through some kind of new magic.

Sigyn's eyes were filled with sadness as she gazed into his.

"What has that creature done to you?" she whispered almost inaudibly.

Loki barely heard her last words, but before he could respond Sigyn gave a sharp gasp and began to slump over. Loki reached out to grab her before she could hit her head on any jagged stones, but she vanished. He balled his hands into tight fists. Another vision, that's all it had been.

…

Sigyn quickly grabbed onto the doorframe of her bathroom to steady herself. She had seen him, and he had seen her. It was only her second vision of Loki, but this one had been significantly different. Loki could now see her, and she could speak to him. While some things had changed though, others remained the same. Sigyn was still unable to move towards or touch Loki. Loki himself looked even worse for the wear than in her first vision. His face was more sunken in, his unkempt hair was beginning to grow longer, and his normally deep green eyes were starting to take on a strange blue haze. As Sigyn had stared into Loki's eyes she had come to a frightening realization, she was losing him.


	9. For the love of a Princess

Sigyn tossed and turned in her sleep. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't shake the encounter with Loki out of her head. She needed to discuss it with Sylvath, but he had gone to bed hours ago. With a frustrated sigh she pushed herself off her bed and put on a robe. With a wave of her hand the lamp on her desk burst into flames, and under the flickering light Sigyn pulled out a leather-bound journal from her bookshelf. She took a seat at her desk and opened the unused tome before dipping her quill in ink. She needed to record the events that had occurred, starting with Thor's coronation and ending with her latest confrontation with Loki. There had to be some sort of pattern to these bizarre dreams and visions she had been having, and she needed to find it. She wrote tirelessly through the night till she had recorded every strange event, dream, and vision that had occurred in detail. When she had finally finished transcribing, Sigyn went and lay down on her bed. Dawn was just beginning to break. Today was one of Sigyn's off days from training with Celleth, and now that her mind was content with her work it allowed her to drift peacefully into slumber.

When Sigyn finally awoke it was nearly time for lunch. She slipped out of her nightgown and headed to the bathroom to take a quick bath. Once finished, she braided her wet hair and tied it with a deep pink ribbon. She slipped into a casual deep pink gown before grabbing her journal and heading to the dinning room. When she entered the chamber Sigyn was greeted with a smile from Sylvath.

"Good afternoon Sigyn. Sleep well?"

"I did after writing this." She replied, holding the journal up for Sylvath to see.

"And what were you writing, may I ask?"

"Everything that I can remember happening since Thor's coronation." She explained while grabbing a sandwich from the plate that Armallia had just set on the table. "I need to discern what is connecting all of the strange events that have been occurring."

"What makes you so certain there is a connection?" Sylvath inquired while also grabbing a sandwich.

"I suppose it is just my intuition." She admitted.

There was silence in the room as both Sylvath and Sigyn ate their lunch. Before Sylvath could leave however, Sigyn stopped him.

"Father… I saw Loki again last night…"

Sylvath remained silent, allowing Sigyn to continue.

"…that is why I had to write everything down. Each dream and encounter that I experience is being triggered by something, and if I can figure out what the trigger is maybe I can control them."

"Possibly. So tell me, what happened when you saw Loki this time?"

Sigyn slid the leather tome over to Sylvath. "It might be better for you to just read my account of it." She offered. "You know I articulate better through my writing."

Sylvath took the journal from her, and she excused herself from the table. Sigyn made her way back to her room and changed into a soft cream tunic and riding pants. After slipping her riding boots on, she went to the stable to look after her horse, Skrípi. Skrípi had been a present from Thor and Loki when Sigyn became old enough to ride by herself. Sigyn grabbed a brush that was hanging on the stable wall and began to brush her mare's jet-black coat.

_"Loki! Thor! Wait up, I can't keep up with you two in this dress!" _

_A young teen Sigyn yelled at her brothers who were scurrying ahead of her._

_"Hurry Sigyn!" The teenaged Thor yelled back._

_"Hold on Thor," Loki demanded, grabbing his brother by the arm to stop him, "if we want this to be a surprise we need to cover Sigyn's eyes so she won't know where we are taking her." The gangly dark-haired prince pointed out softly. _

_"Of course!" Thor replied in a mischievous tone. "Sorry Sigyn, I got a bit excited." Thor apologized in his ever-enthusiastic manner as Sigyn caught up to them._

_"Why are we in such a hurry?" she queried._

_"No reason…" Loki lied._

_"Loki Odinson you tell me what you are hiding this instant!" Sigyn commanded. "This better not be another one of your nefarious schemes." She warned._

_"I think 'nefarious' is a bit too strong of a word to describe my harmless pranks, don't you?"_

_Thor put a hand on Loki's shoulder and interjected his own thoughts. "Come on Sigyn, don't you trust us?"_

_"No." She firmly replied, sticking her nose in the air._

_"Then you leave us no choice…" Thor responded before tackling his little sister._

_Sigyn let out a startled squeal in shock at the surprise attack. Sigyn didn't really have any control of her powers yet so she was forced to try and physically get Thor off of her. She bucked her hips up throwing Thor off-balance. He caught himself by placing each of his hands on either side of Sigyn's head. Before he could completely recover however, Sigyn grabbed his left arm, pulled it in, and rolled him over. Sigyn was now mounted on top of Thor, who was laughing._

_"Good job sister! It seems your latest stay on Alfheim hasn't completely dulled your fighting instincts."_

_Sigyn smiled brightly at the compliment. Before she could move off of him however, Loki snuck up behind her and blindfolded her. Sigyn let out another squeak of surprise and tried to pull the blindfold off._

_"Take it easy squeaky," Loki admonished playfully, "you aren't going to be able to remove that blindfold."_

_"That's not fair Loki! I thought we agreed no magic!" Sigyn pouted._

_Loki rolled his eyes and reached down to help the now blindfolded Sigyn stand up. "We never agreed to that. It's not my fault you can't control your magic and I can." _

_Loki knew Sigyn would be rolling her eyes at him right now if she could. Instead, she let out a 'humph' before finally allowing him to assist her up. Thor jumped up the moment Siygn was off of him and thumped her on the back. The impact sent her staggering forward, but Loki's grip on her arm kept her from falling over._

_"Don't act so glum Sigyn! Loki and I just want this to be a surprise." _

_Thor took Sigyn's other arm, and the brothers began to carefully lead Sigyn down the path. As the trio neared their destination they were greeted by the whinnying of horses. _

_"Are you ready for your surprise?" Thor asked. _

_"Do you remember that tutor who used to assure us there was no such thing as a stupid question?" She replied._

_Thor threw Loki a confused glance over Sigyn's head. "Yes, but I hardly see why that is relevant at this moment…" he began, before Loki cut him off._

_"Sigyn is insinuating that you are asking a stupid question Thor."_

_"Ah I see…" Thor replied with a roguish smirk. "Well do you remember the tutor who told us to never bite the hand that feeds you…" he trailed off while pulling on Sigyn's arm as if he is about to lead her away from the surprise. _

_"Wait! I was merely jesting!" Sigyn protested in a panicked tone._

_"Can I consider that an apology?" Thor queried playfully._

_"I never said that." Sigyn answered, digging her heels firmly into the ground._

_Loki let out an impatient sigh. "Ok children, are we done misbehaving?" he asked in a sarcastic voice._

_Loki took Thor's smile and Sigyn's silence as a 'yes' so he undid the blindfold. Sigyn's eyes fluttered open, and an awed sigh escaped her lips._

_"Is it really for me!?" She asked her brothers in disbelief._

_"Yes," Thor answered, "Father allowed Loki and I to chose a horse for your homecoming present."_

_"What is its name?" She asked as she held her hand out for the beautiful black horse to sniff._

_"She doesn't have one yet, we thought you might want to name her." Loki explained._

_"Sigyn turned back to face the mare that was nuzzling her hand. Sigyn began to rub the horse's neck while looking deep into its eyes. She ran her fingers through its mane before turning to look at her brother's once again. _

_"Skrípi. Her name is Skrípi." She informed them happily._

_"Interesting choice." Loki replied before approaching Sigyn's mare. "It suits her." He stated while brushing his hand over Skrípi's glossy coat._

_"Do you want to take her for a ride?" Thor asked in a hopeful tone._

_"Do you remember what I was saying about our old tutor and stupid questions?" Sigyn teased with a smile. _

_Thor's face lit up and he went to saddle Gyllir. Loki helped Sigyn saddle and mount Skrípi before saddling his own horse, Léttfeti. A thin smirk settled on his face when he saw Sigyn fidgeting with the folds of her dress. It was most definitely not appropriate riding attire, and he could already imagine the scolding Sigyn would receive if Frigga found out. She finally arranged the fabric in the most lady-like manner possible while sitting astride a horse, and looked over to see her brothers watching her with amused smirks._

_"Is it really necessary to stare?" She asked, her cheeks flushing a deep shade of pink._

_"I wasn't staring!" Thor blatantly lied. "You brother?"_

_"Of course not!" Loki replied, sarcasm dripping from his words. _

_Sigyn rolled her eyes, but smiled at her brothers' antics. She loved them both far too dearly to actually be angry._

_"Never the matter," She sighed, "I suppose we used to bathe together as children so watching me fidget with my clothes is no large issue."_

_Thor and Loki's faces turned red at the thought, and Sigyn knew that she had won this round of bantering. Without another glance she urged Skrípi into a brusque canter, forcing her brothers to quickly follow her out of the stable. The three galloped across the open fields, into the forest, and to a hidden pool. They each dismounted and tied their reins to a nearby tree. Sigyn kicked her slippers off and hiked up the hem of her dress enough to keep it from trailing in the cool spring as she splashed her feet about in the shallows._

_"Care for a swim?" Thor asked._

_"I don't believe I am appropriately dressed." Sigyn replied indicating her dress._

_"That is easy enough to fix." He replied while taking off his tunic. Loki followed suit, but Sigyn merely shook her head._

_"I fear it is not that simple for me brother."_

_"Nonsense." Loki interposed. "As you said earlier, we have seen you in less before."_

_Sigyn contemplated Loki's statement for a moment._

_"Come now Sigyn, you know that we are going to push you in either way." Thor declared. _

_Sigyn knew Thor was telling the truth and decided that what Frigga didn't know wouldn't hurt her. She quickly scurried over to Skrípi and began to take off her outer layer of clothing. Two layers later, Sigyn was standing in her cream floor-length under-tunic. Thor and Loki had already climbed up on a pile of rocks and where motioning for Sigyn to join them. She carefully made her way up to them, and they each offered her a hand to help pull her up the rest of the way. Once she was safely balanced on the ledge the three siblings jumped into the pool together. They quickly lost track of time as they swam and splashed about. It wasn't until the sun was too low to be seen through the trees that they realized how late it was._

_"My homecoming dinner!" Sigyn exclaimed suddenly._

_"The AllFather is going to murder us…" Thor whined._

_ "No, knowing the AllFather this will somehow be my fault." Loki grumbled. "The Queen on the other hand, will have all of our heads."_

_The three teens hurried out of the spring and began to redress. Thor and Loki happened to look over to Sigyn as she tried hopelessly to wring the water from her under-tunic. She seemed to glow in the fading daylight, and it was then that her brothers noticed how she had matured during her past ten-years on Alfheim. The wet dress clung to her body, and it was impossible for them to mistake the physical signs of her development. She had a petite hourglass figure and she barely reached their shoulders, but her bosom, though small, clearly distinguished her as a female. The brothers silently shook the strange realization that their little sister was not so little anymore from their minds. Loki assisted Sigyn back onto her horse, and the trio galloped back to the stables, and sprinted to the castle. Frigga and the AllFather were waiting for them at the palace's entrance looking none too pleased. Despite the expression on their parent's faces that foretold of the severe scolding to come, Loki, Sigyn, and Thor glanced at each other with a look that said: "I have no regrets." _


	10. Worries and stories

Sigyn returned from her ride and grabbed an apple from a barrel sitting in the stable. She held the apple out to _Skrípi_, who quickly ate it from her hand. After brushing the mare down Sigyn returned to her room and rinsed off before putting her gown from earlier on. After making herself presentable, Sigyn went in search of Sylvath. She was wandering the halls when she ran into Armallia.

"Have you seen my father anywhere Armallia?" Sigyn queried.

"Yes, My Lady. He locked himself in the library after lunch."

"Thank you Armallia."

"My Lady…" Armallia began hesitantly.

Armallia's nervous tone caused Sigyn to pause before going off in pursuit of Sylvath.

"Yes?" She replied to the maid.

"I am concerned for your father."

Armallia had Sigyn's full attention now. "Why the sudden cause for concern?"

"It is not so sudden." Armallia admitted. "I have been worried since the day we found out about your brother's death. A change has come over him. Its as if he is becoming weaker. He is eating less and less, and nothing I try seems to be helping his waning appetite."

"Why did you not mention this to me sooner?" Sigyn questioned.

"Now that you are training with Celleth you are hardly home, and when you are here it is difficult to find you anywhere except for at Sylvath's side." Armallia explained.

Sigyn knew that Armallia was correct.

"I am sure that it is merely stress causing Sylvath to act strangely." Sigyn suggested, but Armallia looked unconvinced.

"My Lady, your father is not young…I think it is time you start considering what you will do when he is gone." Armallia urged.

The maid's candid pronouncement took Sigyn off-guard. Life without Sylvath was not something Sigyn had really thought about before, but Armallia was right. Sylvath was centuries older than the AllFather himself, and he would not live forever. Sigyn was in such a state of contemplation that she did not notice Armallia leave to finish the rest of her chores. It took a few moments for Sigyn to return to reality, and when she did, she headed straight for the library to see if Sylvath had finished reading her journal. Normally Sigyn would knock before entering an occupied room, but today she chose not to.

"Have you finished the journal?" She asked her father while taking a seat opposite him.

"Yes." He replied in a vague manner.

"And?"

"And what?"

"What do you think?" she pressed.

"I agree that some sort of change must be triggering these events, but I believe that the change must be personal. Something that is happening only to you."

"Why do you say that?"

"Because you are the only person that these events are happening to. You are somehow triggering these visions and encounters within yourself." Sylvath explained, while sliding the journal over to Sigyn.

Sigyn flipped through the pages as Sylvath eyed her carefully.

"I think I might know how it is happening…" she finally murmured, "as my mastery over magic grows, the number of visions and dreams I have increases."

"That is a good theory, but there is only one way to prove it." Sylvath determined.

"How?" Sigyn quickly responded.

"To further increase your mastery." He stated. "I think it is time I begin assisting Celleth in his training of you."

Worry began to flood Sigyn. "Are you sure that is a good idea? I wouldn't wish to wear you out or anything."

"I will be fine Sigyn. If anyone is going to be worn out, it will be you." He replied with a smile.

Sigyn still felt uncomfortable with the idea, and apparently her concern was written on her face.

"Sigyn… I understand why you are worried. I am not as young as I once was, but I am not in Valhalla yet." Sylvath held out his hand to Sigyn who quickly left her seat and grasped it while kneeling by his side. "Ástin mín, my time is coming there is no way to escape that, but while I am here I must ensure that I leave another in my place. I must train up the next greatest sorcerer or sorceress in the entirety of the Nine Realms, and that magician is you."

Sigyn gazed into Sylvath's eyes. "Me?"

"Yes Sigyn, you are a special person. There are things that you will be able to do that no sorcerer before you could, including me. You were created by magic, and are therefore more its child than my own. I will train you in the magical arts for what little time I have left. Once we are through you will be the greatest sorceress the Nine Realms has ever known."

Sigyn sat in shock at Sylvath's revelation. She had always known about her birth, but she had never considered that it gave her such a distinct advantage in the magical arts.

"When will you begin assisting Celleth?" she finally asked while standing up.

"Tomorrow."

"Very well. We best go to dinner, Armallia will throw a tantrum if we are late." Sigyn observed before grabbing her journal and leaving the library.

The next morning Sylvath and Sigyn left for Celleth and Manavana's home in the woods. Sylvath told Celleth of his plans to assist in Sigyn's training, and Celleth quickly agreed. The two Light Elves put Sigyn through the toughest day of physical, mental, and magical training Sigyn could ever remember having. When they did decide to call it a day Manavana invited Sigyn and Sylvath to stay for dinner, an invitation they gratefully accepted.

"Is something wrong Sigyn?" Manavana asked.

Sigyn, who had been pushing the food around her plate absent mindedly, looked up and smiled.

"No, I am fine thank you." She answered politely.

"Are you sure? Your mind seems to be a bit preoccupied." Celleth observed out-loud.

"I am just too tired to eat." Sigyn partially lied.

"Perhaps I should take you back home." Sylvath suggested.

"There is no need for that Father." Sigyn assured. "I suppose I could use a distraction though."

"A distraction? From what?" Manavana pried.

"My over-active brain." Sigyn admitted.

"Well since you aren't eating perhaps you can tell us about the time you spend on Asgard." Celleth suggested.

"What a wonderful idea!" Manavana chimed in. "Please, do tell us about the 'Realm Eternal.'"

"Have you never been?" Sigyn asked a bit surprised.

"No, the only Realms I have ever seen are Svartalfheim, Alfheim, and Midgard." The Dark Elf informed her.

"Then you are well-traveled compared to me." Sigyn confessed. "I have never been to any Realm aside from Asgard and Alfheim. As for Asgard, it is beautiful. The main city surrounds the AllFather's palace, and is where I spend most of my time. The city is bordered by vast plains and forests, and other smaller cities and villages are scattered all throughout the Realm."

"Have you visited these other cities and villages?" Celleth inquired.

"Most of them, yes. My brothers and I tour them every so often to ensure that the people know that the Royal family has not forgotten them."

"Tell us about your brothers. Do they live up to their reputations?" Manavana probed.

"I suppose that would depend on the reputations. I know little of what the people say of my family." Sigyn acknowledged.

"They call Thor the 'god of thunder'. It is said that his strength is unmatched in the Nine Realms and that he has the capability to destroy entire armies single-handedly with Mjölnir." Celleth informed her.

"It is true that Thor's strength is great, but I am not convinced that Thor can destroy an army single-handedly. As for his moniker, I assume it stems from his ability to summon lightening with Mjölnir. Thor is endearing, but he has a tendency to be a bit brash and immature. It is those tendencies that tend to get him into trouble."

"Like the incident on Jotunheim." Sylvath offered.

"Exactly like the incident on Jotunheim. My brother's temper is famous. He does not respond well when he does not get his way." Sigyn explained.

Manavana spoke next. "What of your other brother, Loki? Rumor has it that he was very different from Thor. I have always heard him referred to as the 'god of lies' or the 'trickster'."

Sigyn sighed and dropped her fork onto her plate. Loki had been the subject she had hoped to divert herself from.

"Loki and Thor were like night and day." She began. "I have heard Thor tease Loki about being the 'god of lies', but I did not realize that the name was used by others. In the court he is…was… known as the 'Silvertongue', and for good reason. Loki always had a way with words. He was an academic and magician, while Thor was a warrior. I suppose there were some in Asgard who looked down upon him for that, but few would ever go so far as to make their low esteem of him known."

"Why is that?" Manavana interrupted.

"Because he wasn't designated as the 'trickster' for no reason. Loki was known for his pranks at a young age, and you could be sure that if you crossed him you would be his next target."

The topic quickly drifted to issues concerning Alfheim, and Sigyn was relieved. She had no desire to continue talking about her brothers when she was still rather angry with them. It also didn't help that she had to keep referring to Loki in the past tense when she knew he was still alive. The thought of her last encounter with him ran through her mind for what seemed like the thousandth time. She realized that she needed to see him again, and soon, if she was going to be able and help him escape his current situation. She hoped that under Sylvath's tutelage she would gain the power necessary to see him again before it was too late.


	11. Loosing control

Another few months flew by, and Sigyn had made good progress in her physical and magical training. While the progress was encouraging to Sigyn, Sylvath's declining health worried her. Both she and Armallia kept watchful eyes on him. The reality that he would soon leave her life permanently began to grow on Sigyn. She spent almost all of her spare time by his side hoping that her constant presence would help her hold on to him should death try to tear him away. Despite his failing health, Sylvath insisted on continuing Sigyn's training. It was after a particularly tiring day of training that Sigyn had her third, and final encounter with Loki.

Sigyn had bathed after returning home, and had decided to enjoy a book in the garden before dinner. She slipped on a deep blue gown and silver circlet, and headed towards the gardens. She made herself comfortable on the ledge of the fountain and began to devour her book. It wasn't till the sun began to set that Sigyn realized that she had lost track of time. She quickly rose from her spot to head in for dinner when a sudden bout of lightheadedness hit her. It was not uncommon for her to feel that way when rising too quickly, but this time something was different. Sigyn immediately recognized this as the feeling she had had the first two times she had seen Loki, and she prepared herself for whatever she might face this time.

All Sigyn had to do was blink her eyes and she was once again on the strange planet from before. She ducked her head around her usual boulder and caught sight of Loki. Sigyn could only see his back, but she could tell something was different about him. In their earlier encounters Loki had been dressed in some strange version of his everyday Asgardian attire, but this time he was wearing a modified version of his ceremonial armor, complete with cape and helm. Sigyn was about to call out to him when a second form caught her eye. At first she expected it to be the strange creature from the first vision, but she quickly realized that this was not the same being. The creature from before had been fairly nondescript, but this new entity was very unique. He towered over Loki, which was not a common occurrence, and had deep blue eyes that contrasted starkly to his reddish-purple skin. The newcomer had an extremely square jaw and an expression that stirred both fear and worry for Loki in the pit of Sigyn's stomach. Sigyn knew that she couldn't allow this creature to discover her so she invoked a concealment spell and stayed silently in her spot.

"The time has come for you to lead my army to Midgard." The creature rumbled.

"And once it is conquered and the Tesseract is in your control?" Loki asked.

"Midgard is yours, as per our agreement." The creature smirked. "This staff contains a piece of the Tesseract, and will allow you to open a temporary portal to Midgard."

Loki took the staff into his hands, and Sigyn could see that it radiated with a strange blue light.

"I warn you Asgardian, if you try to cross me and take the Tesseract for yourself there will be no place in the Nine Realms that I will not be able to find you. I hope I do not need to reiterate the punishment should you fail…"

Loki scoffed before replying. "I have no fear of failure, and I will have no need of the Tesseract once Midgard is mine."

"My army will await your signal." The strange creature replied before leaving Loki.

Once he was alone Loki turned around and Sigyn could see his face plainly. The expression he wore was one Sigyn had never seen before. His eyes looked blue, and his smile spoke plainly of the ill intentions that were swimming in his head. This was not the Loki she knew. After quickly lifting her concealment spell, Sigyn called out to her brother.

"Loki!"

He jerked his head up from the staff to stare at her.

"You again?" He asked in a cold tone.

"What do you mean 'you again'?" Sigyn asked as anger started to spread through her.

Loki rolled his eyes. "Do you honestly believe I will fall for this, you are merely an illusion just like last time."

"An illusion!? What do you mean? I am your sister Loki!" Sigyn replied in a raised voice.

"Are you?" he scoffed.

Sigyn reeled inwardly. How could she convince him that she was real? She felt the urge to move towards him, but she couldn't…could she? Sigyn took a breath and tried to step out from her hiding spot. To her surprise she was not hindered in her movement. She slowly made her way from the boulder and towards Loki.

"Loki listen to me, I do not know who that creature was or what he has done to you, but it really is me."

Loki took a step away from her with a look of skepticism on his face.

"How can I prove it to you?" She pleaded.

"You can't." He stated solemnly.

"Please Loki, I _am_ Sigyn." She tried again while moving towards him slowly. "Leave this wretched place and your twisted mission behind. Come home with me. Come back to your family!"

"What home? What family? I have neither, or didn't you know?" Loki provoked. "Oh that's right, you weren't even on Asgard when the truth about me came to light."

Sigyn's face fell. "I know what you did on Asgard Loki, I know it was you who let the Frost Giants in at Thor's coronation. I know that you tricked Laufey into coming to Asgard under the pretense of betraying the AllFather…" Sigyn would have continued, but was cut off by Loki's bitter voice.

"Enough! I don't need you to lecture me on my actions. What I did, I did for Asgard. For the AllFather, but was it good enough? No. Do you know what Odin's last words were to me? 'No, Loki.' I don't know why I was so surprised by it, the only thing he ever told me was 'no'!" Loki fumed.

Sigyn remained silent as her brother did some much needed venting.

"As bad as all that may be, that is not what I was referring to when I spoke of the truth about me coming to light." He continued, his voice becoming dangerously calm. He began to circle Sigyn as he spoke. "My life was a lie Sigyn. I was never an Odinson, I am the son of Laufey." He was standing behind Sigyn, whispering in her ear at this point. "I am a Frost Giant."

Sigyn stood still expecting Loki to walk away from her, but he made no move to do so. His breath flit across the back of her neck, and Sigyn began to feel uncomfortable with the situation.

"I warned you not to go to Jotunheim…" she admonished.

Sigyn was not prepared for Loki's next sudden action. He swiftly grabbed her arm and flung her against a nearby boulder. He was on her before she had a chance to recover, and he pinned her to the cold stone with his hand while placing the point of his scepter at her sternum. For a moment Sigyn considered fighting back, but she couldn't pull herself to harm Loki. It was obvious to her that he wasn't in his right mind, and she needed to find a way to force him to see reason.

"You knew about my parentage didn't you?" Loki interrogated.

Sigyn refused to respond, and instead kept her gaze locked with his.

"Didn't you!?" Loki reiterated, allowing his grip on her neck to tighten painfully.

_"Yes."_ She replied telepathically.

Loki loosened his grip enough for Sigyn to speak normally before asking his next question. "How long have you known?"

"I always knew."

Before Sigyn could comprehend what was going on, she found herself sprawled on the walkway in Sylvath's garden. Her right cheek was burning, and she could feel a trickle of blood flowing from her nose and busted lip. She pulled herself onto the ledge of the fountain and studied her reflection in the fading light. Her right cheek was red and was already beginning to bruise from the force of Loki's blow. She hurriedly healed her injuries before either Sylvath or Armallia had the opportunity to see her. A warm tingly sensation flooded her face, and she knew that her magic was taking effect. Once the warm feeling began to subside Sigyn placed her hand on her cheek. It was just beginning to sink in that Loki had struck her

…

Loki's rage flared for a moment before the realization of what he had just done sunk in. The illusion of Sigyn had not just been an illusion after all: it had been her. Loki looked down at his hand, there was blood smeared on it from Sigyn's nose and lip. Of all the people in the Nine Realms that he could have harmed, it had to be her. Thanos' visions and illusions were no longer a fantasy they were reality. Loki truly was the monster that he had seen in his nightmares. In all honesty he supposed that it shouldn't surprise him, he was a Frost Giant after all. He had been born a monster.

The thought of his true heritage rekindled the fires of hatred within Loki. Sigyn had admitted to knowing, to always knowing, so why had she never told him? Did she, like Odin, believe that he was not capable of handling the truth? Whatever her reason, it no longer mattered. Even if Sigyn didn't hate him for being a Frost Giant while they were growing up, she would certainly hate him for the monster he had become. As Loki wiped Sigyn's blood from his hand he came to terms with the fact that he had just alienated his best, and possibly only friend.


	12. Word from Asgard

Author's Note: It seems very traditional to thank those who have taken the time to both read and review your story so I would like to send out a very grateful thank you to IKilledMisa, my first ever reviewer. I am not going to lie, it is a pretty cool feeling to have someone review your work. As for her review: I am glad that you like Sigyn's bizarre (and quite fanciful) genealogy. It is very difficult to come up with unique ideas for characters that are popular to write with so I am glad that I have scored a success. Let's face it, who doesn't love a challenge!

* * *

Subjugation. That had been Loki's plan according to the messenger sent from Asgard. Sigyn had gathered that much from her final encounter with Loki, but did not deem it necessary to inform the messenger of that. Thor and a group of his companions who called themselves the 'Avengers' had defeated Loki. The messenger had no details to offer except that Loki was now in custody on Asgard. The AllFather was to hold his trial in a few days and Forseti was to be the spokesperson of the nobles. Sigyn inwardly cringed. For being the self-proclaimed 'god of justice' Forseti was anything but fair. It was no secret in the royal court that he loathed Loki.

"Has he called for a death sentence?" Sigyn asked.

"Yes My Lady, but the AllFather has already made it clear that he will not consider such a course of action regardless of what the nobles call for." The messenger explained.

Sigyn breathed a sigh of relief. Loki was guilty and should pay for his crimes, but she had reason to believe that he had not been entirely responsible for his actions. If she could prove that the strange creature was controlling him then she could clear his name. Sigyn asked the messenger a few questions about the well being of the rest of her family before he excused himself to return to Asgard. Loki's defeat on Midgard brought little ease to Sigyn's mind. The creature she had seen threatened Loki with some sort of punishment should he fail his mission, and he seemed to be the kind of person who took his threats seriously. After seeing the strange being Sigyn had spent a large amount of time in the library searching for clues to his identity. She had had little luck so far in her research. The only possible lead she had discovered was that his looks were similar to those of the inhabitants of Titan. She had wanted to take her newest discovery to Sylvath, but his health had taken a turn for the worse and Sigyn feared burdening him with more than he could handle in his weakened state. She would have to put this puzzle together on her own, and the only thing she knew for certain was that Loki was still in danger.

As Sylvath's health grew worse Sigyn was forced to spend less time training with Celleth, but he and Manavana began to visit them. Sigyn was grateful for the extra company since it made bearing the burden of Sylvath's ailment a little less lonely. The four companions would often spend time sharing stories. Sigyn always enjoyed listening to Manavana's tales of life among the Dark Elves. They were so different from the Light Elves and the Æsir culturally that it was easy to see why the Realms had never truly gotten along. Sometimes the talks would drift to memories Sigyn had with Thor and Loki, but the recollections of her childhood were easier to bear now that she knew Loki was alive and on Asgard. It would not be long before Sigyn returned there as well, and she was ready to face the Loki problem head on.

Sigyn was in the final stages of preparing to return to Asgard as the fall colors began to fade in Alfheim. Winter would soon be upon them, and Sigyn was a bit reluctant to leave Sylvath during Alfheim's most harsh season. Sigyn considered sending word to Frigga of Sylvath's poor health in hopes that her mother would grant permission for an extended stay with him, but these plans were forgotten when an unexpected nightmare shook her world.

_Sigyn knew she was asleep. The very fact that no one in the palace noticed her presence reminded her that this was a dream. Everything was calm and eerily quiet. An unnatural chill pervaded the normally warm Asgardian air. Sigyn wandered down the corridors looking for any sign of Thor, Loki, Frigga, or Odin. She considered calling out to them, but determined that they probably wouldn't hear her. Sigyn was about to abandon hope of finding her family when a small trail of blood caught her eye. She could feel her heartbeat begin to quicken, but followed the trail despite her fear of where it would lead. As she continued following the trail, the amount of blood began to increase. Sigyn finally found herself standing outside two giant doors that she did not recognize. She cautiously opened them and almost collapsed at the sight before her. The Queen stood in the center of the room smiling at Sigyn, but blood was streaming from a deep wound in her abdomen. _

_"Don't be afraid my child." Frigga encouraged while gesturing for Sigyn to come closer._

_Sigyn tried to run to her mother's aid, but was stopped from moving by a pair of shackles around her ankles. The fetters had appeared out of nowhere, and were attached to the wall behind Sigyn. The blood from Frigga's wound seemed to be pouring out now. The sticky substance was creeping closer and closer to Sigyn, as if to drown her. A sudden strong blast of focused energy forced Sigyn to her knees allowing Frigga's blood to soak into Sigyn's white gown. Sigyn took her gaze from Frigga for a single moment to look down at her hands, which were also shackled together. When Sigyn looked up again her mother was nowhere to be found. Instead, the Other was in her place holding a kneeling Loki by the hair._

_"Do not make me ask you again half-breed. Where is the Gem?" He asked threateningly._

_Sigyn began to panic. "What Gem!?"_

_The Other backhanded Loki across the cheek. "Do not play games with me girl. Loki has a high tolerance for pain, but everyone has their breaking point." He warned, pressing a knife to Loki's throat._

_Sigyn immediately caught Loki's gaze. She had expected to see fear or the same broken look she had perceived the first time she saw the Other and Loki, but neither of those looks were what she found now. Loki's green eyes burned with determination, which gave Sigyn strength. _

_"Get your filthy hands off of Loki." She demanded._

_The creature snarled. "Foolish girl." He replied before plunging his knife into Loki's shoulder and giving it a sharp twist._

_Loki clenched his eyes shut and screamed out in pain, but when his eyelids finally fluttered open again Sigyn could still detect the stubbornness deep within him. _

_"You will get nothing from me." She concluded._

_The Other hurled Loki across the room and against the wall where Sigyn was chained. Loki's body was bruised and bloodied, and Sigyn began to wonder how long the Other had been torturing him. Sigyn tried to reach out to Loki, but her shackles kept her fastened securely to the wall. _

_"You have left me no other choice then." The creature murmured._

_Chains quickly formed around Loki's wrists, pulling him flush against the wall._

_"I know you know where this pathetic creature hid the Gem." He whispered to Loki. "Tell me where it is hidden, and I might consider sparing her life."_

_Loki refused to reply. _

_"Very well, consider this your warning." The Other stated._

_He pulled a small vile out of his clothing and approached Sigyn. She set her face into a confident stare. She would not allow this creature to intimidate her. The Other pulled the stopper out of the bottle and turned Sigyn's face up to his. He suddenly tipped the vial over and spilt its contents into her eyes. A scream tried to tear itself away from her as the liquid burned her eyes like blazing coals, but the scream was suffocated by the hand that the Other had clasped over her mouth. Sigyn struggled against her captor, but to no avail. He didn't release her mouth till her screams died down to a mere whimper. Her body was still shaking uncontrollably when she decided to open her eyes, but all she could see was darkness. She was blind. Sigyn was so dazed that she barely heard Loki plead for mercy on her behalf. His imploring fell on deaf ears however, and the Other once again demanded the location of the Gem. Sigyn assumed that Loki had again refused because not a moment later she felt a sharp pain as her tormenter's dagger entered her shoulder. Again and again Loki refused to betray Sigyn's secret, and again and again the Other drove his dagger harder and deeper into Sigyn's limbs. She was far too hoarse to scream any more as the knife finally plunged into her stomach. Nausea began to settle in and Sigyn retched what she assumed to be blood based on the smell and iron aftertaste. At this point Loki called for the Other to stop his tortures._

_"Sigyn…" Loki's soft voice rang in her ear, "I can end this. If I tell him where the Gem is he will be merciful. He will kill you swiftly and painlessly and I will have been the one to break so your honor will stay in tact."_

_"w…what of you t..though? Will he also end your misery painlessly?" She asked in an unbelieving voice. _

_Loki paused uncomfortably and Sigyn wished she could see his eyes. "No." He responded truthfully._

_"Then damn him." _

Sigyn shot up in bed drenched with sweat. She gently lay back down after taking a few deep breaths to calm her nerves. This dream had not been an ordinary dream it had meant something. Sigyn gazed up at the ceiling as she replayed the details in her mind. First Frigga had been dying, but Sigyn couldn't reach her. Then, she and Loki were being tortured for information that Sigyn did not have…or did she? In the dream it had certainly seemed as though she knew what the Other had been looking for. Whatever it's meaning, Sigyn knew that trouble was on the horizon and that she needed to be in Asgard to find any answers. Little did she know that the events being foreshadowed in her dream had already been set into motion.

…

"Sigyn?"

Sylvath's worried tone asked, drawing Sigyn from her thoughts.

"Hmm?" She distractedly replied.

Sylvath gave a gentle sigh. Sigyn's mind was far from their current conversation. "While we are on the topic Sigyn, I was thinking about arranging a marriage for you when you return from Asgard…" he feigned in hopes of forcing some sort of response from his daughter.

"I'm sure that will be lovely…" she replied in a distracted voice while straightening some of the loose objects in Sylvath's room.

"Sigyn!" he admonished in frustration. "Have you been listening to a single word I have said!?"

"Of course father, whatever gave you the impression that I was not listening?" She replied slightly less distracted than before.

"Oh I am not certain, maybe it was the fact that you just agreed that an arranged marriage would 'be lovely'…" he pointed out.

"What!?" Sigyn replied, suddenly completely focusing on their conversation.

"Nice to know you were paying careful attention to what I had been saying." Sylvath teased. "So what, may I ask, has been distracting you today?"

Before Sigyn could explain however, a hurried knock came from Sylvath's door.

"You may enter." Sylvath invited.

The door quickly opened and Armallia gave a quick curtsy.

"A messenger has been sent from Asgard My Lord. She says her news is urgent."

Sigyn's chest tightened. Urgent news from Asgard was never good.

"Send her in immediately." Sylvath requested.

Moments later Lady Sif entered the room. Sigyn was happy to see her friend, but she knew that the message must be extremely important for Odin to send someone so closely associated to the royal family.

Lady Sif placed her right hand over her heart in respect before delivering her message.

"I bring word from the AllFather. Asgard has been infiltrated, and while the small force was driven out, the Queen, has been killed."

The pronouncement was swift and without fuss. To some it might have seemed a cold way to deliver the news, but to Sigyn it was the kindest. She did not like to beat around the bush on topics of importance, and she kept her composure as best she could. Sif's eyes gleamed with sympathy, but she offered no condolence fearing Sigyn would be offended by a show of pity.

"How did it happen? Who else have we lost?" Sigyn questioned.

"The Queen was protecting Thor's Midgardian woman…"

"His what!?" Sigyn asked in surprise.

"His Midgardian woman…" Sif replied before it dawned on her, "of course, you have not heard. After our escapade in Jotunheim Thor was banished to Midgard, and during his stay there he met a woman named Jane Foster. He says he has fallen in love with her."

Sigyn had known of Thor's banishment, but had not been aware that he had met a woman while on Midgard. It pained Sigyn to see the disappointment in Sif's eyes. The Lady Warrior had been attracted to her half-brother for a long time, but Thor was too oblivious to see it.

"I see, but that does not explain why my mother was protecting her. Why was Lady Frigga on Midgard?" Sigyn asked, trying to steer Sif away from conversation that might stir up feelings of dejection.

"The Queen was not on Midgard." Sif explained. "Lady Jane was on Asgard."

"On Asgard? That seems highly unconventional." Sigyn pointed out. "Has any Midgardian ever set foot in the Realm Eternal before?"

"None that I know of My Lady. Thor brought her from Midgard for reasons that I am not privy to. The only thing I can tell you for certain is that Midgard is under attack from Svartalfheim, and that it was a group of Svartalfheim warriors that attacked Asgard and killed the Queen."

Sigyn began to pace the room. "How many are dead?"

"We do not know. The attack was swift but deadly. Thor, the Warrior's Three, and the AllFather are safe however."

"What of Loki?"

Lady Sif tensed at the mention of Loki's name. "What of him My Lady?"

"Is he safe?"

"He is in the palace prison My Lady, he was safer than he deserved." Lady Sif replied coldly.

Sigyn flashed her a waning look, but did not say anything. Lady Sif and Loki's relationship had always been a bit strained. Loki had thought it would be funny to change Sif's hair color as a prank. Her once golden locks were turned into a deep brown by one of his enchantments. Sif had been furious with him, but, as Sigyn couldn't help but notice, she had never demanded that he change it back. Sigyn believed that deep down Sif liked the distinction her dark hair gave her, and that is why she had never demanded Loki to fix it. It stood out amongst the crowd and gave her a tougher appearance then her blonde hair had.

"Was anything taken from Asgard?" Sigyn probed, changing the topic.

"No My Lady, they did not even attempt to enter the vaults."

Sigyn nodded, and stopped pacing. Satisfied that these events were not connected to Loki and the Other, Sigyn worked up the courage to finally ask about her mother's death.

"Sif, how did my mother die? Was…was she in great pain?"

Sif paused before answering. "She had a deep wound in her abdomen. We cannot be sure, but we believe that a knife caused it. Her passing was peaceful and she was not alone."

Tears began to sting Sigyn's eyes. It was comforting to know that her mother had not died alone, but Sigyn would have given anything to be there. Sif could sense Sigyn's growing sorrow and decided it was time to leave so that she could mourn her mother in peace.

After Sif had left, Sigyn looked over to Sylvath who had remained silent during the entire conversation. His eyes were full of questions.

"Did you know?" He asked perceptively.

"I did not know per say." She admitted. "I had a nightmare last night that I feared might be a foreshadowing of events to come. It is why I have been so distracted today. The only event that seems to be connected to Svartalfheim's attacks from my nightmare however is Frigga's death. Whatever events are about to unfold in regards to Svartalfheim does not appear to involve me." She determined.

"Why do you say that?" Sylvath queried.

"After I witnessed Frigga dying I was shown the Other and Loki. Given Lady Sif's report, I believe it is safe to assume that neither Loki nor the Other have any connection to the Dark Elves."

Silence fell over the room again as Sigyn's thoughts turned to her mother. Sylvath shakily got out of bed and beckoned Sigyn to sit with him on the window seat. He soundlessly held his daughter as she cried into his shoulder. Sylvath couldn't help but think how unfair Sigyn's circumstances seemed. In a little over two years his daughter's world had been turned upside down at least three times, and if she was right, this was just the beginning.


	13. Frigga's gift

Author's Note: This chapter is short, sweet, and to the point. Once this chapter is complete the real fun can begin. Also I had a wonderful question from IKilledMisa. She asked if Sigyn's staff, Gambanteinn, is from Marvel or my own imagination. It is actually from neither. The staff (or 'magic wand' as the old Norse literal translates to) is mentioned in two poems of the _Poetic Edda_. While I did not create Gambanteinn, I did create its backstory. Since the Norse mythology is not taken too seriously in the Marvel universe, as can clearly be seen in Loki's character, I decided that the Norse could have theoretically gotten names and places correct, but then messed up or accidentally twisted the stories associated with those names and places. Anyway, that was a great question and I hope I answered it to your liking!

* * *

Whatever was occurring between Svartalfheim and Asgard did not involve Sigyn, and the powers that be hadn't seen it fit to send her any dreams or visions regarding the strange new events. Sigyn assumed that she could have used her growing magic to see past Alfhiem and into the other realms, but she didn't see the point in it. She couldn't afford to leave Sylvath's side, so she could be of no use to Thor or the AllFather. Waiting to hear news from Asgard however was not something Sigyn enjoyed. Her ten-year stint on Alfhiem was winding down fast, and in several weeks she was due in Asgard. If the situation with Svartalfheim was not settled by that time she assumed Odin would send word for her to stay on Alfheim till the danger had blown over.

Days trickled by before Sigyn received the anticipated news from Asgard. A messenger arrived bearing a letter and package for Sigyn. She gratefully accepted the two, and went into the garden to open them. The parchment was sealed with Odin's crest, and Sigyn carefully broke the wax impression so as not to damage the letter. After taking a seat on the fountain's edge Sigyn began to read.

_My dearest daughter,_

_ It pains me that you have been left relatively in the dark these past few years. It does not seem right that your only contact has been through messengers, but soon this will no longer be an issue. I cannot imagine bearing the pain over the death of your mother alone as you have been forced to do. I know I do not need to remind you of the love she had for you. In this package I have sent you a small gift that we had been saving for you. It was meant to be presented to you upon your betrothal to a suitable man, but I believe that now is the appropriate moment to hand down this piece of Frigga's legacy. I am saddened that you will be forced to miss the funeral, but you will be back in Asgard soon enough. I know that Thor is anxious for your return, and I have a feeling that Loki will be pleased to see you as well. I am hoping that you can break through to your wayward adopted brother. If anyone can relate to his plight I believe it is you._

_Stay safe my beloved daughter._

_Post Script- Before I forget, I must tell you that Frigga asked for us not to mourn her passing. I know that you will wish to, but do so briefly. I believe my wife will turn in her grave if you arrive in Asgard wearing black. _

Odin had not signed the letter, but that was not uncommon for the AllFather. Sigyn found Frigga's request for those that love her not to mourn strange, but if those were her mother's last wishes, Sigyn would follow them. At the moment she was wearing the same black gown she had worn to mourn Loki, but she would only remain wearing it on Alfheim. She would leave the dress here when she returned to Asgard in a few days time.

Sigyn carfully folded the letter and placed it on her lap before taking up the small package Odin had sent to her. It was wrapped simply in cream parchment so Sigyn felt no remorse in tearing the paper off unceremoniously. The parchment had covered a simple little box, which Sigyn swiftly opened. The item inside caused her eyes to water. Sitting in the box was a ring made of entwined gold and silver and the diamonds on top formed a lotus flower. She immediately recognized this ring as the one that Frigga had been given by her mother upon her engagement to Odin. Frigga had worn this ring every day either on her finger, or on a silver and gold chain around her neck. Sigyn quickly took the ring out of the box and placed it on her right hand ring finger. As if by magic, the ring fit perfectly. After confirming that it fit, Sigyn took the band back off to inspect the inside. Frigga had let Sigyn look at the ring before and had shown her the engraving on the inside of the band. When Sigyn finally found the word on the inside of the band she gasped. When Frigga had shown it to her it had said _kona_, which meant woman, wife, and queen all of the things that Frigga had represented. Now the ring bore a new inscription. _Saklauss_. It meant innocent, guiltless. Sigyn supposed that that could describe her, but she didn't put much thought into it. She slipped the ring on once again and went in to show it to Sylvath.


	14. The worst family reunion ever

The day of Sigyn's return to Asgard had finally come. Sylvath made his way to the garden with the help of Celleth and Manavana, who had come with Sylvath and Armallia to see Sigyn off. Sigyn had an entire wardrobe of Asgardian clothes in the palace so she had no need of her Elvish ones. She had chosen a beautiful white gown and matching cloak to wear to Asgard. While the outfit was lovely, it did force her to ride Skrípi sidesaddle, which Sigyn loathed. She gave her friends and family one final hug before mounting Skrípi and calling out to Heimdall. Sigyn sent a parting smile to those standing in the garden as the blue light from the newly repaired Bifrost engulfed her. It did not take long for the light to fade again, and when it did Sigyn was in Asgard.

Heimdall was the first to greet her, and standing just behind him were Thor, Odin, Lady Sif, and the Warriors Three. The presence of Lady Sif and the Warriors Three was a pleasant surprise. Normally the foursome would wait and meet her at the palace, but given the recent loss of her mother and Loki's imprisonment they must have decided that Sigyn needed to see some familiar faces upon her return. Sigyn led Skrípi onto the Rainbow Bridge before dismounting and embracing Thor. She buried her head into Thor's chest and inhaled his familiar scent. In return, Thor wrapped his powerful arms around her and squeezed.

"I know you have questions. We will talk this evening." He whispered into her ear.

Sigyn nodded in understanding and Thor released her from his grip. She then threw her arms around Odin's chest, and the AllFather placed a soft kiss on her head. Once she had greeted her other father, Sigyn gave Sif a sisterly hug and greeted the Warriors Three in turn. Once everyone had said their "hellos", the party mounted their horses and headed back to the palace. Once there, the horses were collected by servants and taken to the stables. The group then led Sigyn to the stairs that led to the catacombs and Frigga's tomb. None descended into the crypt with her knowing that she needed this time with her mother alone. Once she had reached Frigga's grave, Sigyn ran a hand over the cold marble.

"I am sorry I wasn't there mother…" she whispered.

It was a simple apology, but it was the best way for Sigyn to articulate her thoughts. Sigyn hadn't been there to help bear Loki's loss, and she hadn't been there when Frigga died. Sigyn couldn't help but feel that she had abandoned her mother, even though that was far from the truth. After spending a few somber moments in the crypt, Sigyn ascended to the main floor of the palace and made her way to her bedroom to freshen up for dinner. Once in her chambers, Sigyn pulled off her white cloak and laid it on her bed. She then sat at her vanity and redid her hair into a curly halfway pulled up style. She adorned herself with a golden circlet and crystals that wove in and out of her hair. Once finished, she retouched her makeup and headed to the banquet hall. Dinner was pleasant and consisted of light conversation that steered away from the topics of Frigga's death and Loki. After dinner was finished, Thor and Sigyn excused themselves from the table and strolled along the corridors of the palace.

"So where would you like me to begin?" Thor asked.

"Actually, I think I should begin." Sigyn suggested.

Thor gave his sister a quizzical look, but waited for her to continue.

"I have written something that I think you need to take a look at." She quickly explained.

"Something you've _written_?" Thor questioned.

"Let us just say that I have been keeping myself busy over the past two and a half years." She replied, leading Thor to her chambers.

When she opened the door to her room, she was relieved to see that the items in her saddlebag, including the journal, had made their way to her room. Sigyn picked the journal up and tossed it to Thor. Her half-brother deftly caught it and took a seat on her bed to read. As Thor studied the journal, Sigyn studied him. She could tell he really had matured since their last meeting. He seemed more grounded and thoughtful than the Thor she knew. Sigyn silently made her way onto the balcony and let the cool Asgardian breeze caress her skin. She was watching the stars rise in the evening sky when Thor's worried voice called out to her.

"Sigyn, this creature you speak of, the one that gave Loki the scepter, I know who he is!"

Sigyn turned to Thor immediately.

"Who is it!?"

Thor gave Sigyn a chilling look. "Thanos…"

A hush fell over the room, and Sigyn felt her heart leap into her throat.

"That can't be… how can you be sure?" she pressed.

"He's been spotted."

"Tell me." Sigyn demanded before sitting on the edge of her bed next to Thor.

"An emissary from Vanaheim arrived not a week ago. Apparantly there were some attacks on the outskirt villages." He explained.

"That is not an uncommon occurrence on any realm." Sigyn argued. "What makes them assume these attacks are related to Thanos?"

"Because Freyja has received a threat from him."

"Again, receiving threats is not an uncommon occurrence in royal courts Thor."

"Freyja was inclined to believe that too so she dismissed the threats as hollow, and that is when the attack on the palace came." Thor informed her. "There were an extensive number of fatalities and injuries. The leader of the invading force claimed to be Thanos, and matches your description of the creature who bestowed Loki with the scepter perfectly."

"What had been the nature of the threat? What did he want?" Sigyn asked, trying to put this puzzle together.

"The emissary stated that Thanos demanded the location of some sort of Gem…"

Thor's mentioning of a Gem brought back the memory of Sigyn's dream, and suddenly it all made since. "He's after the Gauntlet!" Sigyn exclaimed. She hastily jumped off the bed and threw her cloak on. "I have to see Loki now!" She explained while heading out the door.

"Sigyn!" Thor yelled after her.

She continued down the hall however, ignoring Thor's call. In a few strides Thor had caught up to her. She had pulled up her hood, but Thor could still catch glimpses of her dead-set gaze. Sigyn had decided to see Loki, and Thor knew there was nothing he could say or do to dis-sway her. The pair reached the stairs to the prisons, and descended in silence. Once they were under the palace Sigyn allowed Thor to lead the way to Loki's holding cell. The catacombs were far too cold for Sigyn's taste so she pulled her cloak tightly around her. She thought that it was a bit cruel to leave Loki in such a cold place, but then she remembered that he was a Frost Giant. He probably didn't mind the chill. Thor stopped Sigyn when they reached the door that led into the room containing Loki's holding cell.

"Sigyn I must warn you, Loki is not the man you remember. You know that something has changed him. I believe that the events you recorded in your journal are true, which means Loki might not be ready to face you." Her brother warned.

"I understand that Thor." Sigyn assured.

"I know that I cannot persuade you to wait till later to see Loki, but at least allow me to go in and talk to him first. Maybe that way we can avoid shocking him too much with your appearance." Thor suggested.

Sigyn nodded in agreement even though she didn't believe Loki would be all that shocked by her appearance. Thor gave Sigyn a grateful smile and slid into the room. He left the door slightly ajar and Sigyn pressed her ear to the crack in order to eavesdrop. If the guards stationed outside the door found her actions odd, they didn't show it.

"Good evening _brother_." Loki's silky voice greeted bitterly. "That is, I believe it to be evening since I just received my third meal of the day. It is rather difficult to know for sure without a window. Perhaps you could send a request in for one to the AllFather since I have behaved so well as of late." Loki mocked.

Thor ignored the taunt. "You have a visitor."

Sigyn took this as her cue to enter. She nodded politely to the guards who promptly opened the double doors for her. Both Thor and Loki looked her way as she descended the few steps that led into the chamber.

"Ah I see… so ten years have passed have they? Tell me Sigyn, how does it feel to see your false brother caged like a wild beast?" Loki queried.

Sigyn ignored his comment, and instead approached the glass cell. Using her magic Sigyn tested the strength of the spells that kept Loki from breaking out through the glass. She smirked to herself at the simplicity of the magic, and decided she would have to offer to improve the security around the palace once she had sorted out her business with Loki. Sigyn kept a steady gaze on Loki as she easily bypassed the spells on the cage and crossed harmlessly through the glass barrier.

Loki raised an eyebrow. "Someone has been practicing." He commented.

Sigyn refused to respond again, and instead walked confidently up to where Loki was lounging against the glass wall. She didn't look back to inspect Thor's expression, but she assumed that he was panicking. Sigyn was so close to Loki now that she was forced to look up slightly to him. Without any warning she slapped Loki across the cheek, causing him to drop his infuriating smirk in shock. It took a few moments for Loki to collect his thoughts again as he rubbed his stinging cheek in amusement.

"Do you think that was wise? Slapping a war criminal." He asked before standing to his full height.

Sigyn, unaffected by Loki staring down his sharp nose, held her ground.

"I am not the least bit afraid of you." She stated coolly. "The markings on your wrists would suggest that Odin has bound your magic, and you are intelligent enough not to hurt me physically as long as Thor is in the room."

Loki smirked at Sigyn's call of his bluff. He only hoped she would puzzle the rest of it together before things got out of hand.

"You are as sharp as ever Sigyn." He mused in what Sigyn took to be a complimentary tone.

While Sigyn would have loved to chat with Loki about a couple of topics, she knew that she didn't have time to beat around the bush.

"I know that it was Thanos who sent you to Midgard, and I know that he searches for the Infinity Gems. His search has led him to Vanaheim, and I suspect Midagard also. The question is why? The Gems are kept here in Asgard with the Gauntlet." She reasoned

"Ah, but that is where you are wrong my dear. The Gems are not in Asgard." Loki corrected.

"Of course they are, I cast the spell in the vault that protects them!" She argued.

"That may be true, but sometime between the Frost Giant's attack on the vault and the discovery of my parentage that same day the Gems were removed from the vault." Loki admitted.

Sigyn only had to think for a second before the answer came to her. "Odin."

"That would be my guess." Loki concurred.

"He must have separated the Gems, that is why Thanos is searching the Nine Realms."

"Good job." Loki confirmed. "So what's his next move?" He prodded.

"Once he has recovered the Infinity Gems he will still need the Gauntlet to combine their powers fully, but while Odin was able to bypass my spell, Thanos won't be able to."

"Are you so sure?" Loki asked.

"Positive. He wouldn't even be able to get into the vault." She assured.

"Then surely you see his play." Loki admonished. Sigyn paused a moment to think, but Loki knew this was wasting time. "Why does Thanos have to be the one to enter the vault? Haven't you questioned why he hasn't gone after the Gauntlet yet?"

Sigyn's innocent eyes widened in shock as the meaning of Loki's words sunk in. "Me…" she breathed.

Loki turned his attention from Sigyn to Thor. "Thor, get her out of here now!" He commanded.

Before Sigyn could exit Loki's cell however, an explosion sent all three of them sprawling to the ground. Sigyn expected to be pelted with rubble as a second explosion tore a hole in Loki's cell, but instead she felt a cool body shielding her own small frame. The person was roughly pulled off of her, and she was jerked up after. Sigyn managed to look over to where Thor had been standing, but saw that he was lying motionless on the floor. One of the blasts must have knocked him out, which meant that Loki had been the one to protect her. The pair was shoved by their captors out of the remains of the cell and into the hallway. The guards who had been posted outside the door were either dead or unconscious, Sigyn could not tell which. The sound of screams and running could be heard ringing through the corridors as several more explosions rocked the palace. Sigyn carefully observed the beings that were pushing Loki and her down the hallway, and was not entirely surprised to discover that they resembled Thanos. While their complexions were similar to his, none of them were as large or intimidating as their leader seemed. It did not take the group long to reach the vault, and when they did, they were greeted by the Other.

"Finally, it took you long enough to bring the two Asgardian rejects." The creature hissed to his companions. He then turned his focus to Sigyn. "Be a good girl and open the door." He commanded.

"Why would I help you? In a few moments Thor will have caught up to us, and he will destroy those of you that I haven't already taken out." She threatened.

The creature began to laugh. "You are assuming that he knows where to find you. As for you taking us out, I wouldn't count on it. You are severely handicapped. Even if you could defend yourself what would become of Loki? Would you risk leaving him helpless and at our mercy? Without his magic you might as well condemn him to death." The Other pointed out before placing a knife to Loki's bared throat.

Deep down Sigyn knew the Other was right. She couldn't attack her captors and protect Loki at the same time. As for Thor, she couldn't be sure he would know where to look or if he was even still alive. When she saw him lying motionless she had assumed that he was merely unconscious, but there was another worse alternative. After she gave no rebuttal the two warriors shoved her towards the doors of the vault, and she reluctantly opened them. The group proceeded into the vault and Sigyn was forced to lead them to the Gauntlet. Sigyn knew that if she wanted to get Loki and herself out of this alive she would need to stall for time.

"I have done as you asked, now release Loki." She demanded.

"Not yet Light Elf. I am not so stupid to think that you would leave the Gauntlet unprotected. First you will retrieve it for me, and then we shall discuss the fate of you and the Frost Giant." He spat at her.

Sigyn was racking her brain for any way to stall the Other longer, when a crashing sound drew all the attention away from her. The bellowing Sigyn heard sounded like Thor, and the sounds of thunder confirmed her suspicion. She quickly took advantage of her captors' momentary distraction by taking out the two that were holding her with the golden dagger that she wore on her calf. She tossed the dagger over to Loki, and he took out the ones guarding him with relative ease. Thor suddenly burst through the doors and began to take out the rest of their captors. Loki made his way to the Other and Sigyn went for the Gauntlet. She quickly circumvented the protective spell and snatched it from its resting place. She had to get it out of harms way, and she had a gut feeling that she knew just where to take it. She turned to Loki, who had managed to disarm the Other, and grabbed his arm before he could deliver a fatal blow.

"Leave him Loki, we don't have time!" She insisted as she pulled him towards the door. "Thor!" She called out. "We need to get out of here!"

Thor slammed Mjölnir into his opponent and sprinted to catch up to Loki and Sigyn. As the trio reached the door a golden light consumed them and they were lifted off of their feet. Since Sigyn knew what was coming she was able to nimbly land on her feet still clutching onto the Gauntlet. Loki and Thor on the other hand were not so lucky. The two unsuspecting boys had landed in a pile on the ground. The light from the portal quickly faded leaving them in darkness.

"What did you just do?" Loki asked in surprise as he untangled himself from Thor.

"I made my own exit…" she replied innocently.

"So where exactly are we?" Thor queried while rising to his feet.

"I am not exactly sure." Sigyn admitted while glancing around the bare desert like terrain. "We should be somewhere on Midgard."

"Midgard!?" Her two companions shouted in unison.

"Did you ever consider that Midgard might not be the best location?" Thor asked while throwing a glance in Loki's direction.

"It is regrettable, but I didn't have any other option. I need information, and your friends here on Midgard are the only ones that can supply it to me." She explained.

"My friends? Do you mean the Avengers?"

"Yes Thor, the Avengers." She confirmed in an exasperated tone. Seriously how many friends did Thor have on Midgard.

Sigyn could sense Loki's apprehension at the mention of the Avengers, but his discomfort was the least of her concerns at the moment. Thor seemed to consider Sigyn's words, but finally gave in.

"If you need to speak to the Avengers, then I know who can help us."

Thor motioned for Sigyn to join him. He carefully wrapped his free arm around her and pulled her to his chest. She held onto the Gauntlet as tightly as she could and buried her face into Thor's armor.

"Come brother, we cannot leave you here unattended." Thor beckoned.

Loki hesitated, but he joined Sigyn and Thor all the same. Thor threw his arm around Loki as well, and Sigyn couldn't help but smile as Loki grunted in an annoyed manner. Her smile did not last long however, as Loki's body began to crush her. She could hear Thor begin to swing Mjölnir, and a moment later she felt her feet lift off of the ground. A few minutes passed before their feet touched back down again, and Sigyn was more than relieved to be on solid ground. Thor released Sigyn and Loki, but made sure to keep a watchful eye on the later. Sigyn quickly turned to face the building where they had landed, but almost lost her balance in shock. Instead of standing on the ground, they were on a suspended walkway high in the air. Sigyn looked around and could see thousands of twinkling lights, but her inspection of the surroundings was suddenly interrupted by a male's voice.

"If he moves even a muscle I'll blast him." The man threatened. "And who's the girl?" he added as an afterthought.

Sigyn studied the man. He was not very tall compared to Loki and Thor, but he was still a few inches taller than her. His hair was brown and he sported an odd little goatee. His eyes also appeared to be brown, and they held a very intelligent look. On one of his hands he wore a strange metallic glove that caused his palm to glow blue in the night. The strange glow also matched a faint blue glow on his chest. Before responding to the man's queries, Sigyn poked through his mind.

"My name is Sigyn Sylvathdóttir. I am Thor's half-sister." She finally greeted.

Sigyn took a few steps toward Anthony Stark, and a conflicted look crossed his face. He seemed to be struggling with the dilemma of having Loki, the war criminal, on his front step. Adding yet another Asgardian to the mix, and a female no less, was putting him on edge. Sigyn couldn't blame him for his caution. Just because she was related to Thor did not mean that she could not be a potential threat, and she knew that he needed to be put at ease.

_"Mr. Stark…"_ she whispered in his mind, _"I need your help."_

Stark's mouth fell open in disbelief. Sigyn knew that if she hadn't won his trust, she had at least earned his curiosity. She pulled the Infinity Gauntlet out from under her cloak and Stark studied it inquisitively. She understood that he was still a tad uneasy about this entire situation, but she also thought that his inquiring mind would win-out over any fear he might have. Apparently she was right.

"Come on in." He replied, lowering his hand. "Oh, and try not to break anything." He added while throwing a scolding look at Thor and Loki. Sigyn couldn't wait to hear the story behind that comment.


	15. Nicknames and Nick Fury

Loki was practically pushed inside by Thor, while Stark went to his bar and began pouring a drink.

"Anyone want anything?" Stark asked.

Silence.

"Come on 'point-break'? 'Reindeer games'? 'Tats'?" he asked individually when no one responded.

Loki could see a very confused look cross Sigyn's face.

"Uh…excuse me Mr. Stark. I do not understand." She admitted.

Stark rolled his eyes. "'Point-break'," he said while pointing at Thor, "'Reindeer games'," he added while nodding his head in Loki's direction, "and 'tats'." He concluded by patting Sigyn on the head.

"They are monikers." Sigyn concluded.

"Bingo." Stark confirmed before taking a seat on a comfy looking chair.

Sigyn thought silently another moment before speaking again. "Why 'tats'? What are 'tats'?"

Stark gave her an unbelieving look. "You know 'tats,' short for tattoo." When Sigyn continued to give him a puzzled look Stark turned to Thor. "Seriously, where have you been keeping her? Under a rock?" He scolded.

Stark indicated the chair across from him for Sigyn to sit in. Loki watched carefully as she sat down and placed the Gauntlet on the coffee table.

"Tattoos are what we here on earth call the ink markings on your face and hand." He explained. "By the way, I love yours. Real edgy and all." He remarked before downing the rest of his drink. "So what's that thing?" He asked indicating the Gauntlet.

"_It_ is a long story." Sigyn admitted.

"Well then you better start now. Pepper is in D.C. so I have all night." Stark replied, setting his empty glass on the coffee table and placing his hands behind his head.

"I will tell you Mr. Stark, but first I must ask a favor of you."

Stark quirked an eyebrow at her pronouncement, but didn't interrupt her.

"I need you to get in contact with S.H.I.E.L.D." She requested.

Stark leaned forward in his seat. "Why do you need to get in touch with S.H.I.E.L.D ?"

"Once they are here I will explain." She replied coyly.

"Come on 'tats'!" He responded in a whiney tone.

"These are not tattoos." She informed him in an attempt to change the subject.

Stark smirked at her before replying. "Fine, I'll make a deal with you. You tell me about the marks, and I will contact S.H.I.E.L.D."

"Deal, on one condition. You mustn't tell them that Loki is here."

Stark simply shrugged his shoulders. "I'd rather see the expressions on their faces when they see him here looking like that anyway." He replied before leaving the room to make the call.

After Stark left Loki turned to face his reflection in the window. He couldn't help but cringe at what he saw. To put it nicely, he was a mess. He could suffer the plain green tunic and black knit trousers, but his hair was unkempt and could stand to be washed and cut. In his current condition there was nothing he could do about it so he turned away from the window and placed his attention on Sigyn. He had been stunned earlier by the growth that she had shown magically, and he was anxious to see what other new abilities she had yet to show. Loki could sense Thor move closer as he stood silently studying Sigyn's features.

"I am not about to make a break for it if that is what concerns you." Loki stated truthfully.

"And why should I believe that?" Thor asked.

"Use your head.' He admonished. "I have no magic to aid my escape, and should Thanos find me I will suffer a fate worse than death."

Silence fell between the two as Sigyn glided about, inspecting the room.

"She has grown significantly in two years hasn't she?" Thor observed quietly.

Loki grudgingly nodded his head. "She has…we all have." He conceded before sinking back into silence.

It was another ten minutes before Stark entered the room again.

"Fury is on his way so its time to keep up your part of the bargain. What's up the henna?"

Sigyn decided not to ask what henna was and took a seat in her chair from earlier.

"The markings that you mistook for tattoos are simply a sign of my Light Elf heritage. I was born with them."

"Hold on 'Galadriel', I thought you were Thor's sister. Shouldn't you be Asgardian?"

"I said I was Thor's half-sister. Frigga is my mother, but Odin is not my father. It is yet another long story." Sigyn clarified. "Anyway, the markings remain white except for when I am using magic, at which point they glow gold."

"So they are enchanted birthmarks?" Stark quipped.

"I suppose you might call them that." She granted.

Stark didn't press the topic any further, and the room fell into another awkward silence. Loki noticed that Sigyn couldn't seem to take her eyes off of the glow emanating from Stark's arc reactor, and apparently Stark had noticed as well.

"Do you want to see it?" He asked her.

Sigyn blushed, but nodded "yes." Stark easily pulled his shirt over his head and tossed it onto the nearby chair that he had decided not to sit in. Sigyn's eyes widened at the sight of the reactor. She stood and slowly moved towards him as if the light was pulling her in. Once she was standing in front of him she began to reach her hand out as if to touch the reactor, but she suddenly pulled back. Realization of what she had been about to do filled her eyes and she stepped back.

"I…I am so sorry Mr. Stark…I just..I umm." She stuttered in embarrassment while ensuring that her gaze was anywhere but on his bare chest.

"What? Never seen a man's chest before?" Stark teased.

"No, well except my brothers' and the Warriors Three, but I hardly count them…" Sigyn rambled on, but stark was not really paying attention. He was far too amused with the innocence of her admission, and gently took her hand in his.

"Mr. Stark what are you doing!?" She exclaimed in an alarmed tone.

"Calm down 'siren'…"

"It's Sigyn." She corrected in a half-hearted voice.

Stark didn't respond. Instead, he gently placed her hand on his arc reactor. With some trepidation she ran her trembling fingertips over the metallic object. Her awe was plainly written on her face, and for a moment her embarrassment slipped away. Loki eyed Stark carefully. He was fully aware of the Midgardian's reputation as a bit of a libertine, and was not thrilled that Sigyn was being so intimate with him. While the way Stark was treating Sigyn did not sit well with Loki, it didn't seem to be bothering Thor. Before Loki could protest the situation however, a strange voice began to speak.

"Mr. Stark, the S.H.I.E.L.D agents have arrived." The disembodied voice stated.

While Sigyn, Loki, and Thor were startled by the voice, Stark didn't seem to be fazed by it at all.

"Let them in J.A.R.V.I.S." He commanded before putting his shirt back on.

Sigyn had retreated to Loki and Thor's side at the sound of J.A.R.V.I.S's voice, and stayed there as the lights above the elevator lit up. A "ding" sound indicated that the elevator had reached its destination, and the doors slid open. Inside the elevator were faces that Loki and Thor both recognized, and Loki assumed that it would not be long before Sigyn dug into each of their minds to put names to the faces. Director Fury stepped out first followed by Agent Hill, Agent Romanov, Captain Rogers, and Agent Barton. Loki kept his outward appearance calm, but he was well aware that while Stark hadn't tried to kill him yet, Agent Barton would love nothing more than to send an arrow through his brain.

"Ok Stark, what is all of this about?" Director Fury asked.

"You should ask her." Stark replied while motioning to Sigyn.

The group all turned to face the trio from Asgard whom they somehow hadn't noticed after getting off the elevator.

"You forgot to mention that Loki was here." Fury accused Stark.

"My brother is no threat to you." Thor assured before Stark could respond.

His assurance however did nothing to stop the group from sending menacing glares Loki's way. Loki was fairly certain that had Sigyn not positioned herself in front of him, one of the agents would have pulled a gun by now.

"Your brother tried to take over our home." Agent Romanov pointed out. "I think that is enough to qualify him as a threat."

Loki decided not to speak, but ensured that his stony gaze never wavered.

"Loki's magic has been bound by the AllFather, and he would stand little chance in a physical fight with Thor around." Sigyn reasoned, bringing everyone's attention to her.

"And why should we trust you? You are trying to defend a murderer." Agent Barton snapped at Sigyn, causing Loki's anger to rise.

Apparently the comment had bothered Thor as well. "Do not address my sister in that way." He warned, but before he could say anything else Sigyn placed a calming hand on his arm.

"I can take care of myself Thor." She assured. "Tell me Agent Barton, why should I trust _you_?" She asked while gazing deep into his eyes.

Loki was amused to see Barton's face turn ashen when Sigyn addressed him by name. Her eyes seemed to sparkle green as she gazed into the startled Agent's eyes. No one moved, and Loki knew that Sigyn was reading Barton's mind and speaking to him telepathically. It was not long before Barton couldn't hold Sigyn's gaze anymore. While Loki knew that a lack of eye contact couldn't protect him from Sigyn's powers, Barton was oblivious to that fact.

"Again I ask, why should I trust _you_?" She reiterated, this time catching the Black Widow's eyes with her own. Loki smirked as the redhead had a similar response to that of her companion.

"And why should I trust _you_?" She finally asked the Director.

Fury seemed outwardly unfazed, but Loki could see right through his façade. Though the Director was shocked, he was still able to hold Sigyn's gaze. She then turned her gaze to Captain Rogers, who had yet to speak. A small smile played on her lips, which seemed to put the Captain a little more at ease.

"As for you…" she started, "I _do_ believe I can trust you."

"Ma'am?" He asked a bit stunned.

Sigyn began to walk towards the blonde. "Unlike every other warrior in this room, you don't have innocent blood on your hands." She explained.

The room went deathly silent as no one offered to refute her statement. Loki knew as well as Sigyn that each and every person in this room, aside from herself and Captain Rogers, had at some point destroyed or intentionally sacrificed innocent lives. Sigyn stood in front of Captain Rogers and was giving him a pleading look.

"Will you help me Captain?"

Rogers seemed a bit taken aback by Sigyn's request, and Loki inwardly groaned. Sigyn had chosen well. If there was anyone who couldn't resist the idea of a damsel in distress, it would be Captain America. He was from a different generation and had been raised a gentlemen. Loki on the other hand, knew Sigyn was no damsel that needed saving. Loki didn't believe she was playing the Captain, but he couldn't see why she would need help from the Midgardian's. They may have defeated him once, but they were still weak in comparison to the inhabitants of the other Nine Realms.

"Ma'am I will certainly help you if I can, but might I ask what it is you need help with?" Rogers finally asked.

"Yes, I think it is time you do some explaining." Fury demanded, ruining the serene calm that had overtaken the group.

"Very well." Sigyn relented. "I suggest you all take a seat, this might take some time."

Stark sauntered over to the bar and sat on a stool. Agent Romanov, Agent Barton, and Captain Rogers sat on the couch while Agent Hill took the seat that Sigyn had been sitting in and Director Fury took the chair Stark had previously occupied. Thor directed Loki towards the fireplace where they continued to stand.

"Before Loki attacked Midgard I had a vision, or more appropriately, an encounter. It was the third encounter I had had with him since his fall from the Rainbow Bridge…"

"Second." Loki corrected.

"Excuse me?" She replied confused.

"It was only the second encounter we had had."

"Not exactly," Sigyn admitted, "it was the third. You couldn't see me the first time. Anyway…"

"Wait a second, how did you contact Loki?" Fury demanded.

"My magical powers are not limited to telepathy, but I did not contact him per say. I had no direct control over when these encounters would occur. I did learn however, that they were triggered by the mastery that I gained over my magic. The stronger I became, the more powerful the visions."

"So you leveled up." Stark observed.

Sigyn wasn't sure what "leveling up" meant so she continued without acknowledging Stark's comment.

"As I was saying, during my third encounter with Loki I saw Thanos. He bestowed Loki with some sort of staff that he claimed contained a shard of the Tesseract. After the Titian left I confronted Loki. I tried to convince him to give up his crazy mission and come home with me, but he refused. He accused me of hiding the truth of his parentage from him…"

"But we didn't know." Thor argued.

Sigyn cast her gaze to the floor. "Thor, I did know."

Thor looked at Sigyn in disbelief. "How?"

"It was an accident." Sigyn explained while gazing into Loki's eyes. "I was testing a spell that I had found, and thought that Odin would make a good test subject. The spell was intended to let me look into people's memories; it is the same spell I used on all of you earlier. To my surprise the spell worked."

"Why were you so surprised?" Agent Hill asked.

"The spell doesn't work on those who posses strong magical abilities. It wouldn't work on Loki, for example. I had assumed Odin's magical powers would be too strong for me to subterfuge, but I was wrong. I saw into Odin's past and discovered Loki's true heritage. I wasn't even a quarter of a century old." Sigyn admitted.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Loki demanded in a hurt tone.

"I wanted to tell you, but when I approached Odin about it he made me swear to keep it a secret. He never wanted you to feel different."

"As if I didn't already feel different!" Loki challenged while taking a step in Sigyn's direction. Thor grabbed Loki's shoulder to keep him from advancing any further.

"Loki I am sorry. I was young; I thought that Odin knew what was best for you. I should have known better than to keep it from you, but be honest with yourself, would you have actually believed me if I had told you?"

Blue-green eyes held deep green ones in an apologetic stare. Loki's body finally relaxed, and he went to lean against the fireplace again. It had never been Sigyn's duty to tell him. It had been Odin's.

Sigyn sighed, and continued her narrative. "Loki and I ended the argument on a sour note, and I did not see him again till earlier this evening. Something seemed off-balance in the Realms, and I had a suspicion that the visions I was having were connected to that unbalance. I began to journal them in detail, and I had Thor read them today when I returned to Asgard from Alfheim. He was the one who identified Thanos."

It was Captain Rogers who finally asked the burning question that was on everyone's mind. "Who is Thanos?"

Loki, Sigyn, and Thor shot nervous glances at one another. It was Loki however, who finally spoke.

"He is one who courts death."


	16. Funny I thought his eyes were green

No one seemed sure how to respond to Loki's statement, so he continued on.

"We had heard stories of him while growing up in Asgard, but no one had any proof that he truly existed… until recently that is."

Loki fell silent and Thor took up the narrative. "Thanos is the one who sent Loki to Earth in search of the Tesseract, and recently he was spotted during an attack on Vanaheim. It is said that his strength matches that of the AllFather."

"He is hunting for what are known as the Infinity Gems." Sigyn continued. "He attacked Vanaheim in search of them. When he combines the Infinity Gems with the Infinity Gauntlet he will have the weapon he needs to seek out his ultimate goal." Sigyn concluded.

"And what exactly is his ultimate goal?" Agent Romanov asked.

Sigyn moved to the wall of windows and looked out over the sparkling city beneath her. "Widespread death and destruction." She finally replied. "He cares not for power or glory. The only thing that matters to him is the body count."

"So this is the Gauntlet." Stark stated knowingly.

"Yes." Sigyn confirmed.

"How do you know he intends to use this Gauntlet thing?" Barton asked.

"The Gems are powerful on their own, but can only be fully harnessed together when they are coupled with the Gauntlet." She explained.

"Tell us about the Gems." Fury requested. "What are they? How do they work? Where can we find them?"

Sigyn began to calmly pace the room. "There are six Gems in total: Soul, Power, Time, Space, Reality, and Mind. Each Gem has special powers of their own, but when utilized together with the Gauntlet they create an unstoppable weapon. They are not extremely large and are of varying colors, but their appearance can be altered through magic. They used to be kept with the Gauntlet in Odin's vault, but sometime after Thor's interrupted coronation Odin moved the Gems. As to where the Gems are located now, I do not know."

"So why is the Gauntlet sitting on my coffee table. Shouldn't it be in some secret safe or something?" Stark asked.

"When Thor confirmed that Thanos was the one who Loki had been working under I knew that I needed to confront him. Unfortunately I was not able to see through Thanos' plan quickly enough. Odin's vault is protected by magic that was cast by me, and Thanos had been waiting for me to return from Alfheim so he could use me to get into the vault and retrieve the Gauntlet for him. He attacked the palace while I was visiting Loki's cell."

"So Loki set you up." Agent Romanov concluded.

"No, Loki warned me to get Sigyn out of there." Thor defended. "Thanos would have attacked Loki's cell regardless of whether Sigyn was there or not. Loki failed him, and Thanos will want him to pay for that mistake."

"Loki was used against me after that." Sigyn added. "The Other offered me his life in return for the Gauntlet. I knew he was lying so I did the only thing I could do, stall."

"I was able to reach the vault in time to distract Loki and Sigyn's captors, and that is when Sigyn must have grabbed the Gauntlet." Thor observed. "I must ask though, why did you open a portal Sigyn? Would it not have been easier to use the Bifrost?"

Loki rolled his eyes at Thor's question. "As per usual Thor, the answer is staring you in the face. Heimdall would never have let me leave Asgard, and since Sigyn needs my knowledge of Thanos she was forced to create another way out. The real question is why she stole a fake Gauntlet." He noted.

Sigyn smirked at Loki. "I thought you would notice."

"Wait, wait, wait!" Stark interjected. "You are saying that you went through all of that trouble for a fake object!?"

"Yes, I made a switch in the vault. I created a projection of the Gauntlet, and then I let their leader see me run off with it."

"That's why you stopped me from killing the Other, you wanted him to tell Thanos you had the Gauntlet." Loki pieced together in an impressed tone.

"Then I had us escape using a portal of my own creation so they would not be able to trace us through Heimdall or the Bifrost." Sigyn finished.

"You're sending Thanos on a wild goose chase." Fury observed.

Sigyn wasn't familiar with the saying, but she believed that she understood its meaning.

"Exactly. Thanos believes that I have both Loki and the Gauntlet, which means he will be looking for me. This will buy Odin time to relocate the real Gauntlet and for us to devise a plan to take Thanos out."

"Us?" Fury asked amused.

"I have questions that need answering, and I believe you are the ones who can answer them." Sigyn responded while avoiding the implication of Fury's question.

"Then ask away ma'am." Rogers invited.

Fury gave the Captain a reproachful look, but didn't argue the suggestion.

"I believe that Odin might have separated the Gems and sent them to different Realms. It is safe to assume that he would not have sent them to Svartalfheim, Niflheim, Muspelheim, or Jotunheim." She mused aloud. "That leaves Asgard, Vanaheim, Alfheim, Nidavellir, and Midgard."

"That's only five Realms for six Gems." Loki pointed out.

"I know." Sigyn admitted. "Either one Realm is in possession of two Gems, or Odin has entrusted a Gem to one of the more questionable Realms."

"So you think one of the Gems is on Earth?" Agent Romanov asked.

"Yes, and I must find it." Sigyn confirmed.

"Why?" Agent Hill asked skeptically.

"So I can protect it." She stated simply. "Thanos couldn't bypass the spells in Odin's vault which is why he had to use me. I do not mean to boast, but the protective spells I used in the vault are child's play in comparison to the type of magic I can cast now."

"So do you intend to scour the universe for all of these Gems 'Sailor Moon'?" Stark asked.

"Sailor Moon?" Sigyn inquired.

"Still trying to find a good nickname." Stark admitted. "A princess from some other planet that comes to earth to protect justice and all of that stuff with her really hot friends…"

The entire group was giving Stark a confused look at this point.

"Aw, come on guys! Don't any of you watch anime?"

Receiving no reply Stark threw his hands up in the air.

"I can't believe this. You guys seriously have no clue what I'm talking about do you? Well I'm claiming 'Sailor Mars' since I'm obviously the best looking." Stark huffed in frustration.

"So _do_ you plan on searching for all of the Gems to protect them?" Captain Rogers asked in an attempt to get the conversation back on track.

"Yes. Ensuring that Thanos cannot acquire the Infinity Gems might be the only way to stop his plan." Sigyn confirmed.

"And you need our help finding the Gems." Fury deduced.

"Only the one that is on Midgard." Sigyn assured him. "I have never been here before so a little help would be much appreciated."

Fury thought a moment before replying.

"Fine, we'll help you. If Thanos is really the guy who backed Loki's attack on New York, then I want payback."

Sigyn shot Director Fury a grateful smile.

"Thank you Director."

Fury merely "humphed" before replying. "We'll have our people pick you, your brothers, and 'Sailor Mars' over there up tomorrow morning."

The S.H.I.E.L.D agents took that as their cue to leave, and made their way onto the elevator. Before the doors could close however, an invisible force held them open.

"I do have one parting query." Sigyn stated while using her magic to keep the doors from closing. "Director Fury, what color did Agent Barton's eyes turn when Loki controlled him with the Tesseract?"

"Blue." Fury replied without a second thought.

"And Agent Barton, what color were Loki's eyes when he came to take over Midgard?"

The Agent visibly tensed, but responded in a decisive tone.

"Blue."

Sigyn's heart leapt for joy, she had been right.

"Funny…" she almost whispered, "I thought his eyes were green."

Everyone except for Thor took a good look at Loki's emerald eyes, but Loki ignored them. He was too busy focusing his green orbs on Sigyn. Without a warning the doors to the elevator slid shut, and it began to descend. The S.H.I.E.L.D agents aboard were eerily silent on the way down. Loki's eyes were unmistakably green so did that mean he had been under someone else's control the entire time he was attacking Earth?

As thought provoking as that subject was, Captain Rogers soon found his mind straying to more pleasant topics. From the moment Thor's sister had gazed into his eyes Steve knew she was special, and it wasn't just because of her powers. She was intelligent and brave. She was willing to go toe-to-toe with this Thanos character, yet it was apparent that she had never seen battle before. When she admitted to trusting him, Steve was a little apprehensive. She could have easily been playing to his old-fashioned ideals of protecting a lady, but when he had searched her face he could find no signs of deception. She truly did trust him, and wanted his help. As he had studied her features Captain Rogers had made another more obvious discovery. Sigyn was beautiful.


	17. The Power Gem

Sigyn awoke early the next morning. Stark had lent her a nightgown that he said belonged to Pepper, who Sigyn assumed was the female he courted. She slipped the nightgown off and redressed into her white gown. She wrapped her long cloak around herself and made her way to the living room she had been in the evening before. Thor's snoring seemed to grow louder, which told her that she was close. Stark had one guest bedroom that was completely furnished in the tower so he had offered it to Sigyn, while Loki and Thor had bunked together in the living room. Sigyn quietly made her way through the room so as not to wake Thor. She noticed however, that he had tossed so much in his sleep that his blanket had fallen off of him. Sigyn had snuck over to pull it back on top of him when she noticed that Loki was not on the sofa. Her heart began to race, but then she recalled the conversation between Thor and Loki that she had eavesdropped on the night before when they thought she wasn't paying attention. Loki had been right, trying to run away would be a sure fire way to get himself killed or captured. She glanced around the room to see if she could spot him, finally spying him out on the balcony. Sigyn couldn't help but notice how scarily like-minded they were. The balcony had been the spot she was headed to before Thor and his blanket sidetracked her. She made her way silently onto the balcony without drawing Loki's attention, approaching softly as he gazed over the rail.

"Good morning." She greeted.

Loki jumped slightly at her voice, but didn't look her way as she came to stand next to him at the rail.

"That's quite the fall." She noted. "You know there are better ways to go." She half-heartedly teased.

"Are you suggesting that I was considering jumping?" Loki asked coolly.

"No, but you certainly are gazing rather intently over the rail."

Loki tensed his grip on the railing in question, but didn't reply.

"I also noticed you weren't allowed any sharp objects in your cell, and rumor has it that you were refusing to eat while in confinement." She pointed out.

"I doubt any prisoners are allowed sharp objects in their cells, and can you really blame me for not being hungry?" He countered.

"Don't get offended, I am simply making observations." Sigyn snapped back before turning her gaze to the sunrise.

Loki kept an eye on her in his peripheral vision. He hadn't apologized for using the sleeping spell on her before he and Thor went to Jotunheim, or for striking her the last time they met before he went to Midgard. Since she had returned the favor however, he didn't really see the necessity to.

"You need to decide which side you are on Loki." She stated firmly before falling back into watchful silence.

As the city came to life Sigyn and Loki retreated to the living room and waited with Thor and Stark for S.H.I.E.L.D to pick them up. Stark apparently wasn't a morning person so there was little conversation. About an hour after Sigyn and Loki left the balcony a helicopter landed on the helicopter pad on Starks roof. Several agents led them to the awaiting chopper and Sigyn couldn't help but marvel at it. She took a seat next to a window and bounced up and down like a 5-year old in excitement, much to Stark's amusement. Once they reached the base, they were taken through several machines that Sigyn had never seen before. The Midgardians told her that they were for security, but Sigyn didn't really see how they protected anything. They were then led to a conference room where they were told the others were waiting for them. Sigyn was the first to enter the room and Captain Rogers immediately came to her side and offered to assist her with her cloak. As the super soldier pulled the flowing fabric from her shoulders, the exquisite gown underneath could be seen for the first time.

Loki slunk off into a corner and gauged Roger's reaction to Sigyn's appearance. Sigyn's gown was obviously of Light Elf make. The white fitted top was adorned with gold and crystal beading, and the "sleeves" were simply crystals set in gold that cascaded off her shoulders. Her Light Elf markings could clearly be seen running up her arm to her clavicle bone, and trailing down her right shoulder blade. The bottom of the dress consisted of two layers. The bottom layer was made of a flowing fabric that was ruffled, and the top layer reached just below Sigyn's knees and was scalloped. The top layer was also heavily beaded with gold and crystals. She was also still wearing the same circlet from the evening before. Sigyn seemed to sparkle under the lights, and Loki assumed that the entire ensemble was probably quite overwhelming to the Midgardians. Of all the eyes on Sigyn however, none shone with more admiration than those of 'The First Avenger' himself. Loki apparently was not the only one to notice Captain America's reaction. Stark eyed the pair with a smug grin, but while he seemed amused, Loki was not. The idea of Sigyn courting any man, let alone a Midgardian, did not sit well with Loki. He was not entirely sure why he should be bothered by it. It wasn't as if Sigyn meant anything to him anymore. The only thing she was now was a reminder of the lie his life had been. Even if he did still care about her though, this feeling of discomfort didn't make sense. He had had his fair share of women so why would he be envious if she took a man? Before he could think about it too much, Loki's thoughts were interrupted by Thor's voice.

"Jane!" The blonde prince cheerfully said before scooping the petite brunette into his arms.

Sigyn thanked Steve for assisting her and went to introduce herself to Ms. Foster. All friendly chitchat was cut short however, as Director Fury called the meeting into order. Loki didn't budge from his spot, and watched the Captain pull out a chair for Sigyn to sit in before taking the seat next to her. Fury was just bout to begin the meeting when a soft knock on the door interrupted him. The door was opened to reveal the soft-spoken Dr. Banner who had been the only missing Avenger till now. Loki sunk a little further into his corner. He was not keen on repeating their last encounter.

"Sorry I'm late." He apologized before catching a glimpse of Loki. The Dr. raised a questioning eyebrow, but silently took a seat. Fury then began to debrief everyone over what Sigyn had said the night before. Those who had not been present asked a few questions, but Loki ignored them for the most part. Once everyone was on the same page Fury turned to Sigyn.

"You seem to have the most knowledge about the Gems Sigyn. Where do you think Odin would hide them on Earth?"

"You already know where Director. You have had it all along." She stated confidently.

"How could that be possible? You said Odin took them out of the vault after the Frost Giant attack, and he must have sent them to their hiding places before he fell into Odin sleep." Fury protested.

"Why would you assume that? I do not believe that the AllFather distributed the Gems immediately after the attack. It would have taken a considerable amount of time to find suitable hiding places in six different realms. I believe he sent the Gem to Midgard after Loki's failed attack." Sigyn reasoned.

Stark began to chuckle. "I told you she was good Fury."

"Excellent job Stark. She could have been bluffing for all you know." Barton scolded. "If she wasn't sure before, she is now."

"There was never any doubt in my mind that one of the Infinity Gems was left with S.H.I.E.L.D." Sigyn assured them.

"And why were you so sure?" Fury asked curiously.

"I read your mind last night, or have you already forgotten?"

The director sat down and clasped his hands together.

"Would you like to see it?" He asked.

"No need." Sigyn replied while opening the palm of her right hand. Inside lay an oval deep reddish-purple gem. "Your security was lacking."

Loki couldn't help but smirk. Sigyn had been playing S.H.I.E.L.D all along. He also noted mentally that the power from the Gem was causing the markings on Sigyn's right hand to glow, which drew attention to the ring she was wearing. It was Frigga's ring.

"I think you better explain how you got a hold of that Gem." Fury ordered.

"It was simple really. I didn't feel like going through your security system so I concealed myself and left a projection in my place. The guards would never have been able to tell the difference between my double and me. While our group went through security, I made my way to your holding room. Your protection of the Gem would probably have been enough to keep out any Midgardian thieves, but it was no match for my magic. Thanos would have made quick work of it too." Sigyn explained.

"I thought you said he didn't have magical abilities." Agent Romanov pointed out.

"No, I merely said that he was not strong enough to get past my spells and enchantments. His magical powers, though weak, would more than likely have been able to get him past your security. That is hardly relevant though since he wouldn't have used magic to get to the Gem. He simply would have muscled his way through."

"So how would you suggest we protect the Gem?" Fury inquired.

"Have you ever heard of the Midnight Star Ruby?" She asked.

"Yes," Dr. Banner spoke up. "It's a fairly famous gem that is located at the Natural Science Museum in New York."

"What does that have to do with anything?" Agent Hill asked incredulously.

"I think that we should make a switch and place the Power Gem in the exhibit." Sigyn suggested.

Hill gave Sigyn an unconvinced look so Stark took up the case.

"A fake gem is already on exhibit." He informed the group. "Some story about a robbery at the museum causing everyone to panic so they made copies of the most valuable gems and locked the real ones away."

"And how do you know that?" Agent Romanov asked disbelievingly.

"The internet, duh." Stark replied while pointing to his phone. "Not to mention I know the curator of the museum. I made a nice donation, completely anonymous of course, and got a full tour of the place." He added in an offhand manner.

The Black Widow rolled her eyes, but made no comment.

"May I see the Gem?" Dr. Banner asked politely.

Sigyn nodded and placed the stone in his hand. Banner studied it for a few moments before commenting.

"It looks close enough to the real thing to fool the tourists, and the experts already know the one on display is a fake." He concluded.

"I can also place a charm on it to have its appearance match that of the actual Midnight Star Ruby." Sigyn offered.

"Why not just lock the stone up in some secret vault?" Barton asked.

Loki let out a cold laugh. "Because that is what Thanos would expect simple-minded Midgardians to do."

"Brother…" Thor warned, but Loki paid no heed to his brother's admonition.

"Not to mention, didn't Sigyn just prove that that idea wouldn't work?"

No one refuted Loki's point so he continued.

"I am the only one here who has actually interacted with Thanos." He pointed out. "You will need my insight on how Thanos thinks if you want to beat him."

"Fine, tell us then, would Thanos see through Sigyn's plan or not?" Fury challenged.

"A museum exhibit certainly would not be Thanos's first guess. As I said earlier, he would expect you to take the most uncreative route possible. A heavily armed "top secret" vault would be the first place he would check. Sigyn's idea is a fairly solid one. It would be lightly guarded without S.H.I.E.L.D having to use their own resources and Sigyn can ensure its safety through her magic." Loki concluded.

"It makes sense." Captain Rogers agreed. "The Natural Science Museum is in New York so both Stark and I can keep an eye on it as well."

Fury took a moment to think through the plan, and then gave an affirmative grunt.

"Ok, Agent Romanov will make the switch tonight." He confirmed.

"That won't be necessary." Sigyn interjected.

"Why not?" Fury asked in an exasperated tone.

"I need to go in person if you want me to protect the Gem with my magic. I might as well make the switch while I am at it. It should only take me a few minutes." Sigyn argued.

"I can't allow you to go alone." Fury noted.

"You don't have to." Stark interrupted, "I'm sure 'Cap' would be more than happy to escort the lovely lady."

Captain Rogers looked a bit embarrassed by Stark's pronouncement, but didn't protest the idea. Loki had to resist rolling his eyes. Instead, he rubbed his temples as if he had a migraine. He already wasn't a fan of this plan.

"It's settled then." Fury stated. "Captain Rogers will take Sigyn to the museum where she will make the switch and ensure its safety."

"Come on 'Sailor Moon,' we need to find you some real clothes." Agent Romanov said in the kindest voice Loki assumed she had.

Stark seemed happy that his nickname for Sigyn had stuck. "So are you going to let her borrow one of your cat suits?" he teased.

The redhead smirked back. "I would, but I'm not sure the Captain could handle it."

The comeback earned her an "I surrender" look from Stark, and she proceeded to escort Sigyn out of the conference room.

Once the two females were out of the room, the other agents were dismissed. Loki however, was forced to stay behind with Thor and Jane.

"I don't like this plan Thor." Loki blurted out rather unexpectedly.

"Why not?" Thor asked incredulously.

Loki regained control of his cool attitude and then continued. "Sigyn has never set foot on Midgard before. She has no idea how to behave like a Midgardian, and her markings will hardly help her blend in."

"Do not worry brother, Captain Rogers will be with her." Thor comforted.

"Is that supposed to ease my mind?" Loki asked in an irritated tone.

"Yes. He will be able to help her act like the Midgardians."

"Really?" Loki replied in mock relief. "We should trust the man who has been frozen for over half-a-century to instruct Sigyn in the ways of _modern_ Midgardians? He is as clueless about the modern world as she is." He vented before throwing himself in a nearby chair to brood.

"Loki, is there something else that is bothering you?" Thor asked concerned.

Jane, who had been silent up till this point, spoke up. "Is it because Mr. Rogers is going with her that you're upset?"

Loki shot a furtive glance at the Midgardian scientist, and she met his eyes with an inquisitive stare.

"If that is what troubles you Loki I can assure you that the Captain is a perfect gentlemen. It would be as if we were allowing Volstagg, Hogun, or Fan…Lady Sif to escort her." Thor reassured him.

Loki didn't respond to his brother's comment since it was obvious that Thor was oblivious to Captain America's attraction to Sigyn. Loki sat in silence while Thor and Jane whispered to one another. Every so often Jane would let out a little giggle or Thor would laugh, causing Loki to shift uncomfortably as he speculated about what the pair could be talking about. He was finally set free from what he considered to be a cruel and unusual punishment, a.k.a. the Thor and Jane snuggle fest, by the return of the Black Widow and Sigyn. Luckily Thor and Jane were not so far off in their own world that they didn't notice the return of the two women. In fact, it was Thor who first addressed Sigyn.

"Ah sister, let us see how you look in Midgardian attire!" He greeted.

Loki looked her over carefully. She was wearing a bright pink sweater that sat off of her shoulders and a dark wash skinny type of pant. The material was not familiar to Loki, but he had noticed that many Midgardians wore it. She had on black leather stiletto boots and she was holding a black coat of some kind in her arms. She had taken off her gold and crystal adorned circlet and had straightened her hair so that it reached right below her shoulder blades. She kept her usual natural looking makeup with the exception of some pink and black colored eye shadow.

"Did you pick it out for her?" Loki asked Agent Romanov.

"No." Sigyn replied before the Agent could decide if she even wanted to address the 'god of mischief.' "Natasha gave a couple of suggestions regarding the weather in New York during this season, but beyond that I had free reign." Sigyn said proudly.

"I'll go get Fury and let him know you are ready." Agent Romanov stated before leaving the room.

"Midgardian clothes suit you very nicely." Thor remarked.

"Do you think so?" Sigyn asked, directing her question more at Jane than Thor, a fact that escaped neither Thor nor Loki's attention.

"You look great." Jane assured leaving Sigyn looking satisfied.

"What are you going to do about your Light Elf markings?" Loki queried.

"Since Mr. Stark confused them for tattoos I will just go with that idea." Sigyn explained. "I asked Natasha what she thought, and she said that in New York that story would be easily accepted by the Midgardians."

"You look wonderful Ma'am." Captain Rogers commented as he suddenly entered the conference room with Director Fury, Agent Hill, Agent Barton, and Agent Romanov right on his heels.

"Thank you Captain." Sigyn replied gratefully.

"Yea she looks great, now can we get this show on the road?" Fury interrupted impatiently.

"Of course Sir." Rogers replied respectfully.

"Where are Mr. Stark and Dr. Banner?" Sigyn asked curiously.

"Dr. Banner is working on a project for me, and Stark is preparing your vehicle." Fury quickly explained before briefing everyone present on how the mission was going to work.

In a nutshell, Captain Rogers would take Sigyn to the Natural Science Museum so she could plant the Infinity Gem in the place of the fake Midnight Star Ruby. There was no need to wire tap or plant any cameras on them for this simple mission. The only piece of equipment they would need was a cell phone with a tracking device just in case something went terribly wrong. Stark arrived soon after Fury finished briefing the pair about their job, and lead Sigyn and Steve to their awaiting car. Thor, Jane, and Loki tagged along as well.


	18. A new friend

Sigyn gazed in wonder at the devise that Stark called a car. It was blue and he had said that its name was Corvette. She had done some research on Midgard during her studies growing up, which was how she knew about the Midnight Star Ruby, but none mentioned cars. She was so excited that she didn't listen to a word Stark had been saying, and was only brought back to reality by Captain Rogers asking her if she was ready to leave. She nodded yes, and the Captain opened the door for her to get in. As Rogers went around to the other side Thor signaled a thumbs up sign to Sigyn. She smiled back and returned the gesture. Loki wasn't giving her the thumbs up, but he didn't seem to be in as foul a mood as she expected him to be. She really whished that she could speak with him telepathically like they had growing up, but with his magic bound that was impossible. She waved to him anyway, and he nodded his head slightly in her direction. When Rogers was seated in the driver's seat and had turned what he called the engine on, Stark motioned to roll down Sigyn's window and he quickly poked his head in.

"You two play nice now." He then pulled a strap over Sigyn's shoulder and placed it in an odd contraption at her left hip. "Always buckle up, we don't want to have any accidents."

"Oh right…" Sigyn replied in an unsure tone.

"Have fun, and don't do anything I wouldn't do." He said before winking and backing away from the car.

Steve rolled the window up and pulled out onto the road. Sigyn looked in the mirror and could see Thor and Jane waving her off.

"You would think we were leaving for battle." Sigyn remarked in an amused tone.

"Your brother seems to be enthusiastic about…well just about everything." Steve commented.

"He has actually toned down since I last saw him." Sigyn admitted.

"And when was the last time you saw him? You mentioned last night about being somewhere called…Alfheim was it?"

Sigyn was impressed that Steve had remembered her mentioning Alfheim. "The last time I saw my brother was around two and a half years ago. The day of his coronation, and the day Odin banished him to Midgard."

"I read the file about that when your other brother tried to take over Earth." Rogers explained.

"Loki isn't my brother." Sigyn interjected.

"Right, half-brother." Rogers amended.

"Technically Loki and I are not related." Sigyn corrected. "To make a rather interesting but long story short, Loki is adopted. Anyway, you were correct about my mentioning Alfheim. The abridged tale is that because of my parentage I spend ten years on Alfheim followed by ten years on Asgard. This cycle will repeat until my father, Sylvath, dies."

"I would like to hear the unabridged version of the story, that is if you don't mind telling it ma'am." Rogers asked politely.

"I do not mind, but I feel guilty by doing all of the talking. Not to mention I am very much interested in hearing your story." Sigyn replied.

"A bargain then. You tell me your story and I will tell you mine." Steve offered.

Sigyn readily agreed and Steve urged that she go first since she was a lady. Sigyn spent the rest of the drive explaining the strange circumstances of her birth and her experiences growing up in two separate realms. Steve was shy to ask questions at first, but Sigyn encouraged him to not be afraid warning him that her curiosity would drive him crazy when it was his turn to share his life story. The drive to the museum was not long enough in Sigyn's opinion, but once there, she began to soak up the strange and fascinating world around her. She studied the architecture, transportation, but most importantly, the people. Growing up in two different realms had its advantages. Adapting to new customs and behaviors was much easier for her than Thor, who was pretty much hopeless when it came to blending in. Loki on the other hand, was a born imitator. His shape shifting and ability to deceive gave him an edge that Sigyn sometimes envied. As it were, Sigyn was careful to imitate the physical gestures of those around her as she and Steve entered the museum. They had decided that it would be best to meander about the museum a while before making the switch so Steve offered Sigyn his arm and began to lead her around the exhibits. The pair stopped at each one and Sigyn studied every placard intently. Steve even offered to help explain some of the things that she didn't understand. After making their way around the rest of the museum, the couple finally reached the exhibit with the Midnight Star Ruby.

"So how do you plan on doing this?" Steve whispered to Sigyn.

"Since we are so close to the fake Midnight Star Ruby I can use my magic to switch it with the Infinity Gem. After that I will cast an advanced protection spell and a couple that are more simple." She explained.

"So you can only teleport items to different locations if they are close to you?" He queried.

She simply nodded her head and leaned close to the glass case as if inspecting the fake gem. Steve watched carefully, but Sigyn's lips didn't move. He was beginning to wonder if something was wrong when he saw the faintest golden glow around the gem in the case. Before he could decide if he was merely seeing things however, the glow was gone. The lingering golden glow of Sigyn's Elfish markings told him that the glow from the gem had probably been real too. Sigyn then placed her arm back in his and the pair left to finish the last bit of the exhibit.

"That was fast." Steve commented as they looked at the other precious gems.

"I said that it wouldn't take long." Sigyn reminded him.

"Of course, I didn't mean to offend you ma'am." Steve quickly apologized causing Sigyn to smile.

"I do not see why you are apologizing Captain. You said nothing offensive." Sigyn assured him.

Steve smiled back and seemed to relax a bit.

"You'll have to forgive me ma'am, I have never been the most comfortable with women. I suppose I am always afraid to offend or disappoint them." He confessed. "It doesn't help that women have changed a bit since I went under."

"How so?" Sigyn asked as they exited the museum.

"I am not sure. I suppose the best way to explain it is that they seem less concerned about acting like ladies. The men are the same way. Most of them don't seem concerned about being gentlemen." He explained.

"And how are Midgardian ladies and gentlemen supposed to act?" Sigyn prodded.

"Well the women from my generation were elegant and feminine. They had a certain grace about them that set them apart from the men."

"So women should merely be pretty and meek?" Sigyn asked in a disbelieving tone.

Captain Rogers laughed and opened the car door for her.

"No ma'am. Meek would not be the word I would use to describe the women I knew. They were strong. They had to be. The men left to fight the war, and the women had to stay behind and take care of the home front. They had to raise their family's single handedly while working in the factories and the war offices." He explained.

Sigyn buckled her seatbelt as Steve got back into the driver's seat. As he pulled onto the road he began to speak again.

"There was one woman in particular whom I greatly admired."

"What was her name?" Sigyn asked curiously.

"Peggy, her name was Peggy." He replied a bit sheepishly.

Sigyn studied his face and grinned.

"You cared for her deeply didn't you?"

"Yes ma'am, I did."

"It's Sigyn."

Captain Rogers nodded in understanding, but then seemed to become lost in his own thoughts.

"Well it is your turn to tell me about yourself Captain Rogers…" Sigyn reminded him.

"Steve." He insisted.

"Well it is your turn to talk Steve, so tell me about her. I would love to hear about the woman who stole the heart of the 'First Avenger'." She encouraged.

Sigyn could have sworn that the Captain's face took on a slight shade of pink, but he began to talk about the woman anyway. Sigyn listened in fascination to Captain Rogers's description of Peggy. She certainly sounded like a woman that Sigyn would have loved to meet. The ride back to S.H.I.E.L.D's base flew by quickly, and as Steve was about to exit the car Sigyn stopped him.

"Steve… this may seem like an odd question, but do you think that we could be friends?" She asked hopefully.

Steve smiled. "I would like that very much Sigyn."

He then quickly went to open her door and help her out. As she was exiting the car Stark came outside.

"There you two are. It took you long enough." He whined.

"There was a tracking device in Steve's phone Mr. Stark, it is not as if you had no clue where we were." Sigyn pointed out.

"So you are on a first name basis now?" Stark noted with mirth while ignoring Sigyn's remark.

Neither Steve nor Sigyn saw fit to respond to Stark's comment so the three entered the building and headed towards the conference room.


	19. The first casualty of war

"So what was the rest of the team up to while we were gone?" Steve asked Stark as they walked down the hall.

"Oh you know, the normal. Bruce and I were playing with the gadgets while Fury, Romanov, and Barton were doing spy things. Thor and his lady were lost in their own little world, and Loki was pouting. That is after we all had a nice long conversation about 'Sailor Moon.' By the way Sigyn, if we have time Dr. Banner would love to test your DNA. You're the first person I've ever run into that wasn't conceived in…well in the normal way. " Stark replied before opening the door to the conference room.

Sigyn barely had time to register what Stark had said when Director Fury began to question her about the gem swap. Once the entire team was satisfied that the mission was a success, Fury dismissed them with orders to meet back at the base the next morning to discuss their next move.

Jane, Steve, Agent Barton, Agent Hill, and Agent Romanov said their goodbyes leaving Thor, Stark, Dr. Banner, Loki, Director Fury, and Sigyn.

"So are you sure you need me on this one?" Dr. Banner asked Fury a bit nervously.

"Positive." Fury replied firmly.

"Well I'll need somewhere to stay." The Dr. pointed out.

"As will we." Thor added.

"Stark?" Fury asked.

"I only have one guest bedroom that is ready for occupation." Stark replied. "'Point break' and 'the Prisoner of Azkaban' had to bunk in my living room last night. I guess there would be enough room if 'Sailor Moon' and I bunked together though."

He added the last bit to see if he could get a rise from Thor and Loki, and he was not disappointed. Thor looked mortified at the idea, and Loki was giving him an icy stare. It was Sigyn though, who responded.

"But isn't Pepper coming home tonight?" She asked innocently.

Stark stood there dumbfounded for a moment. He could not believe that his innuendo had gone completely over her head; she seemed too smart for that.

"How old are you?" He asked in hopes of finding the cause of her naïveté.

"Well… to be honest I have kind of lost count…" She admitted. "I am at least a millennium old I suppose."

She looked to Thor and Loki for confirmation, and they just sort of shrugged their shoulders. They didn't really keep up with their ages on Asgard since they lived so long in comparison to humans.

"I suppose in your Midgardian years I would be somewhere around 25." She determined.

Stark and Dr. Banner looked at one another in astonishment, but the more they thought about it the more it made sense. The Norse had created an entire mythology based on them, and they had been fully grown adults in the mythology. Stark made a mental note to look more into the mythology later on, but for now there was one question burning in his mind.

"So are you are a virgin?" He asked Sigyn bluntly.

"Stark you cannot ask a Lady that!" Thor protested, but Tony ignored him. Instead he kept a close eye on the blushing girl.

"I am not married Mr. Stark." She pointed out.

"You could have a lover." He retorted.

Sigyn looked nervously at Thor and Loki, but Stark's voice brought her attention back to him.

"No need to worry about them. If you had a lover they probably wouldn't say anything about it. My guess is that they've had their fair share of them." Stark pointed out.

He watched carefully as Sigyn's cheeks turned an even deeper shade of red betraying that she was already aware of that fact. What Stark hadn't expected though, were her eyes darting to catch a glimpse of Loki. He wasn't sure if they clouded with sadness or disappointment, but he didn't have time to ponder it before she spoke.

"I already admitted last night to not having seen a man's chest aside from my brothers' and the Warrior's Three. Should that not be enough confirmation to satisfy you?" Sigyn asked in hopes of not having to answer the question directly.

"Technically you wouldn't have to see his chest." Stark indicated.

"Enough!" Loki finally interceded. "I think that her reactions to your enquiries are adequate to give you your answer."

"Don't seem so offended, I'm merely trying to figure her out. I simply don't see how someone who appears to be so smart can be so ignorant." Stark challenged.

Sigyn's face finally turned back to its natural pale shade, and she sighed. "To answer your queries, no I have never been bedded by a man. As for my ignorance, it is not so much ignorance as realism. I understand innuendos well enough, but I am not so foolish as to think that any man has ever meant them." She explained. "On Asgard I am not considered desirable enough for a man to bed. Why woo the small and insignificant half-breed princess when there are hundreds of beautiful goddesses to chose from." She finished in a bitter and weary tone. "Now if you all don't mind I need to use the lady's room. I suggest that the five of you come up with somewhere for us to stay by the time I return."

With that Sigyn pushed past Stark and Dr. Banner who were closest to the door, and made her way down the hall. Thor made a motion to follow her, but Loki grabbed his arm.

"I don't think Sigyn would appreciate your company now." The younger prince observed.

"Perhaps not…" Thor agreed. "I must know Stark, why the sudden interest in my sister's virtue?"

"It is not so sudden." Stark admitted. "Her reaction last night to seeing me without a shirt was what first sparked my interest. I just find it difficult to believe that someone as old as she is can be so inexperienced with the opposite gender. Something isn't lining up."

"You're right, it does seem highly improbable that she could still be a virgin." Dr. Banner agreed.

Fury finally decided he had had enough of the current conversation, and interrupted before either Thor or Loki could respond to Dr. Banner's comment.

"I for one would like to go home, so can we decide who is staying where already? I promise after that you are more than welcome to debate Sigyn's virtue."

The group quickly determined that Sigyn, Loki, and Thor would return home with Stark and that Dr. Banner would stay at the base in one of the bedrooms. Fury then quickly departed, leaving the remaining four to continue their former conversation.

"So explain to me how a princess has gone a Millennia without having at least one lover." Stark asked unabashedly.

"Did not Sigyn just answer that question herself?" Loki replied in an attempt to evade the query.

Stark waved his hand as if to brush off her explanation. "Even if she _wasn't_ attractive, although I assume we can all agree that she _is_, surely there would have been at least one man who would have wanted to sleep with the Princess of Asgard simply for bragging rights." He argued.

Thor seemed affronted by Stark's comment, but Loki sensed a deeper meaning behind Stark's inquires. In order to divert him away from the truth, and to keep Thor from saying anything too rash, Loki replied quickly.

"Why does this even matter to you?"

"Someone's defensive." Stark observed. "It matters because she _is_ so innocent. You look into her eyes and you would swear she was an angel, she practically glows." Stark answered vaguely, throwing Loki a little off-balance.

"I still do not see your point…" was all the trickster could manage.

Stark threw Dr. Banner a meaningful look, hoping that at least one person in the room would catch his point.

"The first casualty of war is innocence." Banner suggested.

"Bingo!" Stark confirmed while snapping his fingers and pointing at Banner. "This Thanos creature is after Sigyn, and he sounds like the kind of guy who won't take her continued interference mildly. Are you certain you want to let Sigyn get any more involved in this business and run the risk of her getting caught in the crossfire?"

"Of course I do not want her to become needlessly involved" Thor began, "but Sigyn is of age and must make her own choices."

"Not to mention that she would involve herself with or without our permission." Loki interjected.

"_Our_ permission?" Stark prodded.

Loki ignored the jibe and continued his thought. "It makes more sense to accept Sigyn's decision and be there to protect her than to refuse and cause her to go behind our backs."

"_Our_ backs?" Stark echoed. "So you are on our side this time?" he asked doubtfully.

"It is merely a figure of speech. Let us just say I am neutral this time around."

"Nice try 'reindeer games,' but it is way too late in the ballgame to be neutral." Stark pointed out before switching topics. "So what is it exactly that you and 'point break' were trying to hide from me and the good Dr. earlier?"

Loki knew Stark was simply going off his instinct in assuming that the two princes were hiding something, and was just fishing for an answer hoping to get lucky. Given that Stark had no real proof that anything was amiss Loki was going to blow off the question, but Thor was unable to hide his discomfort, which did not escape the Midgardian's notice.

"So you are hiding something. Time to spill the beans boys."

"It is not our tale to tell." Thor argued.

"Ok, I'll just ask your sister when she gets back." Stark threatened.

"You could ask, but Sigyn would have no recollection of what happened." Thor explained mournfully.

"Now you aren't making any sense. First you say that you can't tell me because it's Sigyn's secret, and then you turn around and tell me that she has no memory of said secret." Stark protested.

Loki had no desire to drag this conversation out any longer. He had secretly hoped Sigyn would have returned from the bathroom by this point to bring about an end to this topic, and Loki inwardly cursed her for taking so long. Since Sigyn didn't seem to be in any hurry to get back and Stark wasn't going to let go of the topic, Loki determined that he might as well give in to Stark's badgering.

"Sigyn was raped." He practically shouted with an amount of force that surprised even him.

Stark looked a bit taken aback and Dr. Banner took off his glasses as if to clean them. Apparently neither had expected the nature of Loki's admission. Stark had never given up the idea that Sigyn actually had a secret lover and that was what the "brothers" had been concealing so valiantly. Stark was also a bit startled by the intensity of Loki's reply. This was a topic that bothered the cool-headed god enough to cause him to lose his calm. Even Loki's surrender after his failed invasion of New York had failed to bother him. In fact, he had had enough gall to make a joke about the drink that Stark had offered him before the battle began, which Stark grudgingly awarded him a few mental points for.

"So she doesn't remember it because she was roofied?" Stark asked sympathetically.

"Roofied?" Thor questioned back.

"He means drugged." Dr. Banner clarified.

"She was not drugged, nor was she drunk," Loki assured heading off Stark's next suggestion.

"So her mind suppressed the memory." Dr. Banner theorized.

"No, I did." Loki corrected.

"You?" Stark interjected in a surprised tone. "How?"

"A spell."

"So your magic is more powerful than hers?" Dr. Banner queried.

"No, not under normal circumstances. I can overpower her only on occasion, and even then I must take her by surprise or she must be in a weakened physical or mental state."

"So despite the fact that Sigyn is stronger than you, your spell has managed to stay intact for hundreds of years without her detecting it. How?" Dr. Banner pressed.

"Sigyn's magic is of a peculiar nature." Loki began, "Given her strange birth it should not come as a surprise that what you call her genetics are very different from those of any other being. She posses those traits handed down from her mother Frigga, but the other half of her…DNA? That is what you Midgardian's call it correct? The rest of her DNA is made up of the magic energy of the Light Elves. Sigyn posses more magic than any other being in the Nine Realms. This means that with her magic she can produce more spells that are more powerful, but this power comes at a cost. The first problem is that Sigyn cannot detect simple lasting spells that have been used on her. Her body is so accustomed to a high level of magic being present within her that the magical presence of a small spell, like the one I used to repress her memory, would not be enough to alert her to it. Ironically the more powerful of a long-lasting spell you try to use on her, the more likely she is to detect it. It is also important to note that the more frequently you use your magic the more fatigued you become. For me, and other sorcerers, this is only a problem during battle or when we are using magic constantly for healing purposes. Once we are finished we can simply rest and the magic will be restored to us in a tolerable amount of time. Sigyn however, must be careful about the levels of magic she uses. Her magic is a part of her, and the more she uses it the more she dies."

"Dies?" Stark remarked incredulously.

"Yes, magic is as vital to Sigyn as blood or air. If she uses it all while still being physically healthy she will be extremely weak, and it will take a considerable amount of time for her magic to return."

"And if she is physically unwell?" Dr. Banner asked in a knowing way.

"It would depend on the level of physical trauma she had received, but more than likely she would die." Loki concluded.

The room went silent for a moment as the four occupants wrestled with their own thoughts.

"So what happened to the guy?" Stark eventually asked.

"Nothing." Thor stated blankly.

"What do you mean nothing!?" Stark burst out. "How can you rape the daughter of the king and face no consequences? If that had happened here in the States the guy would have faced serious jail time."

"The law does not consider it a crime on Asgard because it is far too difficult to prove." Thor explained in an embarrassed tone.

"And you think that _we_ are the ones who need help!?" Stark responded, directing the rebuttal at Loki.

Stark's taunt landed on deaf ears. Loki was suddenly struck with the memory of what had happened that night, and he felt like he'd been slammed with a ton of bricks.


	20. Mala in se

Author's Note: Hello everyone! First off I just want to thank those who have followed, favorited (yea, that is not really a word), and reviewed this story. I am glad that you are enjoying it! Secondly, this is a friendly warning that there may be content in Chapters 20 and 21 that may bother some people. In the last chapter it was revealed that Sigyn was raped, and these next two chapters will go into Loki's memory of the incident. There are no explicit details given about the rape itself, merely suggestions of it. Rape and its injustice is treated as a serious topic, as I believe it should be. If you believe that there is even a slight chance that the content of these next two chapters will trigger something disturbing for you personally then I suggest skipping them. Skipping chapters 20 and 21 will not detract from the rest of the story. The thing that is to be learned from them is the dedicated relationship between Loki and Sigyn before his fall from the Bifrost. Since i have not posted a disclaimer in ages I will do so now. I own nothing save my own personal interpretation of Sigyn.

* * *

_Loki glanced around the highly decorated banqueting hall. Asgardian's loved any reason to celebrate, and the anniversary of Odin's defeat of the Jotun's was no exception. Loki assumed that the night would be filled as the celebration always was. Food, drinking, stories of the battle, and dancing. Currently however, Loki was stuck standing on the steps to the throne with Thor and Sigyn. Odin was receiving the Lords and Ladies who were in attendance, and Frigga was seated next to him. Though he appeared to be engaged in the civilities, Loki had stopped paying attention to the proceedings half-an-hour before. He caught a glimpse of Thor, who was standing on the step above him, and had to restrain himself from laughing. His brother made no attempt at pretending he was paying attention. Instead, he was sending flirty looks at practically every maid and noblewoman he made eye contact with. Loki assumed that at least one of them would warm his brother's bed that evening. Loki then eyed Sigyn who, as the youngest, was standing on the step below him. She wore a shimmering one-shouldered golden gown. Her hair had been braided to one side and she wore a small golden tiara and golden teardrop earrings. Unlike Thor, she seemed to be paying each guest the compliment of her undivided attention._

_After what seemed like ages, the guests had all arrived and Thor, Loki, and Sigyn where allowed to find seats at the dinner table. Loki offered Sigyn his left arm and Thor offered her his right, which she graciously accepted. As the two boys led her to the table they began their normal teasing._

_"So who are you all dressed up for this evening? Surely you cannot look this radiant for the benefit of ourselves and the Warriors Three." Loki began. _

_"Who says I am dressing up for anyone? Is a lady not allowed to look nice simply for her own enjoyment?" Sigyn retorted playfully. _

_"No, Loki is correct. You're smile is particularly enchanting this evening. Only the thought of a young man could be the cause." Thor teased while pulling a seat out for his sister._

_"The cause of what?" Fandral asked curiously as Loki took the seat on Sigyn's left and Thor took the one next to Loki._

_"The cause of Sigyn's particularly charming manners." Thor explained._

_Sigyn rolled her eyes while Lady Sif and the Warriors Three smiled. They were all well accustomed to this game, and often partook in it._

_"I see." Fandral chuckled. "So the Princess has finally bestowed her affections on a young man? Who could it be?" _

_"If she has fallen for someone what makes you think she would tell you?" Lady Sif countered._

_"Because I am the very definition of secrecy. The young Lady could confide in me with no fear of her feelings being revealed to their recipient… unless of course she wished them to be made known." The blonde teased._

_Hogun, even-keel as always, even joined in on the fun. "Since Sigyn has no intention of revealing the boy's identity we should piece together what we know of him."_

_"Well it must be someone we know." Loki began._

_"Not necessarily." Thor contradicted. "He could be someone that she has seen in passing, or a young lad who rescued her from some wild beast before disappearing into the mist." _

_"Not likely." Loki interjected after taking a look at Sigyn's incredulous expression. "She is far too logical for that kind of romance. Although, there is the possibility that he could be a Light Elf in which case we would not be acquainted with him." _

_Volstagg took a brief moment between bites to interject his thoughts. "No, the Light Elves are too calm for Sigyn. She craves someone with a sense of adventure! He must be an Asgardian."_

_Sigyn raised an eyebrow at that. "Be careful how you speak Volstagg. It would be unwise to assume that every Light Elf falls into the same generic category, just as it would be unwise to assume that every Asgardain fits into the same mold."_

_"As Loki so adeptly proves." Sif pointed out, causing all of her companions, save Sigyn, to burst into laughter. _

_Loki decided to let the stinging comment slide, and instead raised his goblet in mock salute before taking a long drink. If the conversation was to continue in this same vein for the rest of the evening he was going to need a lot more wine._

_"In all seriousness Sigyn, has there truly been no man worthy of your attentions?" Fandral finally asked after the laughter had died down._

_Loki noticed the slightest hint of pink that graced Sigyn's cheeks at Fandral's query, and Loki began to suspect that perhaps their teasing was not so far off from the truth. _

_"There are plenty of men who are certainly worthy of my attentions." Sigyn replied in an elusive manner. _

_"Is someone avoiding the question?" Thor prompted. _

_"Technically she did answer it." Loki interceded. "Fandral asked if there were any men worthy of Sigyn's attentions, not if she had given them to someone." He pointed out._

_Loki noticed that Sigyn seemed to relax a little, convincing him that there really was someone that she was interested in. The subject was shifted from teasing Sigyn to Thor's latest battle and Loki checked out mentally to ponder whom Sigyn might have feelings for. It was safe to assume that it was someone they were acquainted with since she refused to admit her feelings. She would have been more than happy to share the identity of the man if she was sure that no one involved in the conversation knew him. Beyond that Loki didn't have anything to go on. Their acquaintances on Asgard were numerous, giving him too many options to sort through. He decided that he would watch Sigyn carefully throughout the evening in hopes of finding a clue to her mystery man. _

_Odin rose to tell the first of many stories, cutting the chattering between Thor, Lady Sif, and the Warriors Three short. The entire crowd grew silent as Odin began to recount the battles that occurred during the war with Jotunheim. Loki listened with some interest while the rest of the audience soaked it all in. Year after year the stories were retold, and no one was ever more engrossed in them than Thor. Loki assumed he, Sigyn, Lady Sif, and the Warriors Three would have to suffer another week of Thor recounting the tales and boasting how one day when he was king he would finish the work that Odin had started by destroying Jotunheim_ _permanently. Loki thought it was a bit unfair for Thor to automatically assume he would be the one to succeed Odin, but even he had to admit that it was probably a safe assumption. Odin and the people adored Thor, and though Loki was jealous of that fact, he couldn't begrudge his brother. It wasn't Thor's fault that his personality fell so in line with what Asgardian's desired in a king, and it wasn't his fault that Loki was so different. Loki's thoughts were drawn from the order of royal succession by nervous fidgeting from Sigyn. He looked to his right to see her staring at someone across the table. Loki quickly glanced to see who she was looking at, and cringed. The person whom Sigyn had been observing, and who was staring intently back, was none other than the self-proclaimed 'god of justice,' Forseti. Loki and the self-righteous Forseti had never been particularly close, and Loki momentarily feared that he might be the one that Sigyn was attracted to. A second glance at Sigyn's expression however, relieved Loki of this fear. Sigyn did not seem to be studying Forseti with a look of admiration, but one of confusion. Loki considered asking her what was wrong telepathically, but the end of Odin's final tale and the pronouncement that the dancing should begin forced him to postpone his query._

_The first dance required Odin to dance with Frigga and Thor to dance with Sigyn leaving Loki to fend for himself in finding a dance partner. Usually he simply found a girl that looked slightly less intoxicated than the rest, and quite often she would also be the girl that he bedded that night. This evening he decided to ask one of the women that Thor had been making eyes at earlier simply to spite him. Loki was glad that the gesture didn't go unnoticed by Thor who sent a jealous look at Loki as the three couples stepped onto the dance floor. The song began, and Loki was relieved that he had picked a dance partner who seemed perfectly content to dance in silence. Thor and Sigyn on the other hand were a bit noisy. Sigyn giggled and Thor chuckled each time he dipped, lifted, or spun her around as if she weighed nothing. She was smaller than the other Asgardian women, so she was the only one to receive such special attention from Thor. After the first song was over Thor was obliged to dance with Frigga and Sigyn with Odin, leaving Loki to fend for himself yet again. To keep things simple he kept the same partner. The rest of the guests were only required to sit out the first dance, so couples began to pour onto the floor. The third dance saw Loki dancing with Frigga, Thor with the Lady Sif, and Sigyn with Fandral so it wasn't till the fourth dance that Loki could capture Sigyn's hand as a partner._

_"So is it Fandral?" He asked as the opening notes of the song began to play._

_"Is what Fandral?" She asked genuinely confused._

_"Is he the man you have fallen for?"_

_Sigyn smiled. "Why are you so determined to believe that I have fallen for someone?"_

_"I wasn't inclined to believe it at first, but I caught your blush when Fandral asked if any man was worthy of your affections."_

_Sigyn's cheeks were once again flushed a light shade of pink. "Was I truly blushing?" She asked in an embarrassed tone._

_"Like a bride." Loki teased._

_"Well that is unfortunate…"_

_"So is it Fandral? You always dance your first free dance with him." Loki noted._

_"Only because he does not mind." Sigyn argued._

_"That does not answer my question." Loki pointed out. _

_"No, it is not Fandral." _

_"Is it safe to assume that I know him?" _

_Sigyn nodded, and Loki quickly spun her around. _

_"I see…" he replied as he brought her back in to him, "and if I am able to correctly determine his identity will you honestly own it?"_

_"Of course I will, though I must warn you that you could guess for millennia and never discover it."_

_"Then consider your challenge accepted." _

_The two danced in silence for a few moments when Forseti caught Loki's attention again. _

_"Would you like to explain to me why Forseti has been paying you so much attention this evening." Loki finally asked. _

_"To be honest I am just as baffled as you are. Every time I look away I seem to catch him staring at me." Sigyn admitted._

_"He has never seemed that interested in you before." Loki commented. _

_"Not until these past few weeks." Sigyn agreed._

_"These past few weeks!?" Loki asked in disbelief. "What do you mean?" _

_"I have run into him frequently while strolling about the castle and while studying in the library."_

_"When were you planning on telling me this?" Loki asked in a reproachful tone._

_"I didn't deem it to be that important. He usually kept his distance and he hardly ever spoke to me. I did sometimes feel that he might be watching me, but I wrote it off as paranoia. It is not as if we ever ran into each other in a place where it wouldn't make sense for him to be." She reasoned._

_Loki locked eyes with Forseti, and a chill ran up his spine. This sudden interest in Sigyn didn't seem right to Loki. Something was off, and Loki intended to keep a close eye on him the rest of the evening. _


	21. but not mala prohibita

Author's Note: I merely want to reiterate my warnings from the last chapter.

* * *

_The party lasted well into the early hours of the morning, and all of the guests managed to drink and make merry till their hearts were content. It wasn't till a little after one o'clock in the morning that Loki realized he had lost track of Sigyn and Forseti. He excused himself momentarily from the lady he had danced with earlier that evening and went in search of Thor. The highly intoxicated prince was easy to spot, and Loki quickly pulled him away from the group of women he was with._

_"Have you seen Sigyn?" Loki quickly asked._

_Either the mention of Sigyn's name, or the concern in Loki's voice caused Thor to sober up slightly. _

_"She and the Lady Sif left almost an hour ago to go walk in the gardens before retiring. Why?" _

_"It is probably nothing." Loki responded mechanically as he began to search the room for Forseti once more. _

_"If you are worried about taking your lovely companion elsewhere without Sigyn noticing fear not, she is probably long asleep by now." Thor teased._

_Loki made no response and continued looking about the room. Thor must have been growing concerned by Loki's actions because he placed a hand on his shoulder._

_"Loki, what is troubling you?"_

_The nagging at the back of Loki's brain grew stronger with each passing second._

_"Did you see Forseti leave at any point?"_

_"I don't remember, why? What is going on?"_

_"I cannot be sure, but I think Sigyn might be…" _

_Before Loki could finish his sentence however, a frightened voice called out to his mind._

_"Please help…Loki…someone…anyone…"_

_The voice was barely audible, and if he didn't know better he might have thought that it was just the workings of his slightly intoxicated brain. Fortunately, Loki did know better. Sigyn was communicating telepathically, and Loki hoped that these were her first pleas for assistance. If these telepathic entireties to Loki were not her first, he would only have himself and his stupidity to blame for coming to her aid too late. Without hesitation Loki took off in the direction of the gardens in hopes of finding Sigyn still there. Loki could hear footsteps behind him followed by Thor's voice begging him to stop. Loki paid no heed to his brother's requests and continued sprinting down the hallways. It was by luck that Loki caught a glimpse of Lady Sif headed down another hallway towards her sleeping quarters. _

_"Sif!" he called out, catching the brunette warrior off-guard. _

_"Yes?" She asked, clearly confused by his hasty and worried appearance._

_"Where is Sigyn!?" _

_"I left her in the garden. She said that she wanted to stargaze a little longer before retiring." Sif explained._

_The short conversation had given Thor enough time to catch up, and he now stood by Loki's side._

_"How long ago did you leave her?" Loki demanded._

_"What is going on Loki?" Thor asked in a concerned voice, but Loki ignored him. He never let his gaze fall from Lady Sif who was looking between the brothers with a conflicted expression. _

_"No more than twenty minutes ago. What is going on Loki?"_

_"Sigyn is in trouble." Loki replied hurriedly before running off in the direction of the gardens once more. _

_This time he was greeted by two sets of footsteps following his lead. It didn't take long for the trio to reach the gardens, and Loki's heart sank as he took in the empty scenery. Sigyn was no longer there. Loki closed his eyes and took a steadying breath. If she wasn't here, then she more than likely was on the way to her room. Before he could take off towards Sigyn's chambers Thor stopped him._

_"Loki I need to know what is going on."_

_"I have already told you, Sigyn is in trouble."_

_"I got that part." Thor admonished. "What I don't understand is what kind of trouble."_

_"Forseti has been paying an uncomfortable amount of attention to Sigyn tonight, and when I confronted Sigyn about it she informed me that these attentions have been going on for several weeks now."_

_"Its true." Sif added. "She mentioned that to me in the garden."_

_"You cannot assume she is in danger just because a man has been paying her some attention." Thor reasoned. _

_"No, but I can draw that assumption from the pleas she sent me telepathically." Loki huffed impatiently before taking off again._

_As before, Sif and Thor followed him out of the gardens. Luckily Sigyn's chambers were not too far away and the trio made quick time of the distance. The hall in front of Sigyn's chamber was eerily empty. Loki was about to give in to the idea that maybe he really had just drunk too much at the banquet, when Sigyn's tiara caught his gaze. He closed the last few yards to her door and picked up the golden crown. He then turned towards the door, which was securely closed. The palace walls and doors were far too thick to hear most noises through so Loki was forced to put his ear against the door in hopes of discerning what was going on inside. The noise that greeted his ear caused his stomach to drop. Smothered screams. Thor and he needed to get inside. Loki pulled the handle of the door doubtfully, assuming that the door was barred from the inside. He was met with the expected resistance and shot a look at Thor. _

_"We have to get in there!" He mumbled._

_There was a slight chance that they were about to burst in on Sigyn having a rendezvous with a lover, but Sigyn had no lover that Loki knew of. Lover or not, Thor had no scruples about bursting down Sigyn's door, and he proceeded to do so much to Loki's chagrin. Loki had simply intended to teleport himself inside so he could open the bolt and let Thor in as well, but Thor had charged through the door before Loki could even bat an eye. Loki and Sif ran through the doorway quickly, and Loki magically fixed and replaced the door before any curious servants stumbled onto the scene. He then turned on his heel to face the other occupants of the room, and used his magic to relight the lamps. The scene before him was chaos. There were overturned chairs, Thor had Forseti pinned to the wall, and Sif had an extremely disheveled Sigyn locked in a comforting embrace. Thor seemed to be interrogating his prisoner, so Loki approached Sigyn and Sif so as to get a better look at his little sister. She was not crying, but the tearstains down her cheeks indicated that she had been not long before. Sigyn lifted her gaze to meet Loki's, and Lady Sif released her to the arms of her half-brother. _

_"You came…" She breathed. _

_"Of course we came." He reassured the still shaking girl. _

_Lady Sif went to help Thor question Forseti, who didn't seem to be giving any satisfactory answers to Thor's queries. Meanwhile, Loki pulled Sigyn back from him so that he could study her appearance better. He had hoped that she might simply appear disheveled like she had when he first laid eyes on her, but on second glance she looked far worse. Fresh bruises covered her upper arms, small wrists, and her left cheek. Her hair was coming completely undone from its braid and her golden gown was crumpled on the floor leaving her standing in her bodice and underskirt, the later of which had a jagged tear up the side. Loki decided that it would be best to let Sigyn heal her own injuries since she was already a better healer than him. He assisted her over to her bathroom door not failing to notice that her walking seemed strained. Once he was there he beckoned Lady Sif to help her run a bath. After both women were inside the bathroom, Loki went over to help Thor get answers from Forseti. It seemed that Thor had managed to threaten the man excessively, but had failed to ask any questions of use. This did not come as a surprise to Loki, who immediately took over the conversation._

_"Do you care to explain why my sister felt the need to call out telepathically for my assistance?" Loki began._

_"I don't know what you are talking about." Forseti replied indignantly. "I saw the Lady walking from the gardens to her chambers alone, and offered to accompany her."_

_"That still does not explain why she called out to me, or why we caught you in her bedroom attempting to force yourself upon her." Loki charged. _

_"Why do you assume that I was forcing myself?" Forseti defended._

_"Because, as I have mentioned twice before, Sigyn called to me for help. An action she would have had no need of if she had willingly let you into her bed." Loki argued._

_"And who said I was in her bed at all?" Forseti countered while waving his hand in the direction of Sigyn's perfectly made-up bed. _

_This detail stunned Loki for a moment. He wasn't sure how he had missed that obvious fact when he came into the room. Taking advantage of Loki's silence, Forseti continued on._

_"Even if I had forced myself upon her neither of you have the right to physically abuse me or interrogate me about it. I would have committed no crime." _

_Loki cursed under his breath. Forseti did have a point. If Thor bashed Forseti's skull in, as Loki was beginning to fear more and more that he might, he would have to face punishment, but even if Forseti had forced himself upon Sigyn there was nothing either of the Princes could do in the eyes of Asgardain law. Forseti was more than legally within his right to deflower Sigyn in such a way, and it made Loki sick. Loki eyed Forseti closely to see if he bore any marks of a struggle. Unfortunately Forseti was wearing an outfit that covered his arms entirely so any sign there would be completely hidden, but Loki did notice a circular red mark on his left hand that appeared to have just stopped bleeding. Though Loki couldn't be sure, the mark suggested that Forseti had tried to smother Sigyn's cries for help and that she had bitten him to free her mouth. It seemed like something Sigyn would do, and Loki mentally gave her a "good girl" for her effort. The only other thing that Loki could derive from his study was that Forseti had been forced to hastily put his pants back on. He hadn't even had the time to tie them properly._

_"Let him go Thor." Loki finally commanded._

_"What!?" Thor replied, throwing Loki an unbelieving glance._

_"Forseti is correct, he has the legal high ground." Loki conceded._

_Forseti's eyes lit up as Thor reluctantly loosened his vice grip enough for him to get away. _

_"Very perceptive of you My Lord." Forseti replied in a snarky tone. "Now if Your Majesties do not mind, I will be off to my own chambers." He finished with a curt bow without hiding the smugness of his victory. _

_He hastily left the room and Loki could feel his blood boil. _

_"How can we just let that wretch walk away?!" Thor fumed at Loki. _

_"We don't have a choice. The law won't do anything about his actions, so the last thing we need is for him to be able to charge either of us with assault." Loki explained._

_"Either of us?" Thor asked a tad amused. "It is not like you Loki to physically fight your battles." _

_"For Forseti I believe I could make an exception."_

_The brothers stood awaiting Lady Sif and Sigyn to rejoin them before retiring for the night. Thor preoccupied his time by sitting uncomfortably in a chair. Loki on the other hand tried to piece together what must have happened. He was not considered the 'god of lies' merely because he was a good liar, but because he was good at detecting them as well. Forseti had been smart enough to never directly answer his questions because he knew Loki would call him on a lie. Answering a question with a question also meant that Forseti never had to actually admit to anything. He had acknowledged that he had walked Sigyn to her chambers, which Loki believed was the truth. Escorting a young single woman to her chambers in the dead of night after a party for safety reasons was considered an acceptable thing for a young man to do, but what had occurred afterwards between Forseti and Sigyn was not. Sigyn's tiara had been on the ground outside her door, which meant that Forseti had probably forced his way in when she opened it. Forseti's suggestion that Sigyn might have welcomed his advances was clearly disproven by the abandoned tiara. It would have had no reason to fall off if Sigyn had let him into her room. Its presence in the hallway clearly implied that a struggle had occurred. Once inside the room the scuffle had continued to ensue, evidenced by the toppled chairs in the sitting area. Forseti had managed to get Sigyn's gown off of her between the sitting area and the bed. Loki carefully picked up the golden garment to inspect it. There didn't appear to be any tears. It would have been an easy gown to get off of her though since it had only one shoulder. Loki laid the gown across the undisturbed bed, and walked over to where Thor had had Forseti pinned against the wall. At first glance Loki didn't see anything to suggest what had happened between Forseti and Sigyn, but a closer inspection left Loki livid. Slung carelessly at the foot of the bed was a pair of female underclothing, and Loki almost timidly picked them up to inspect them. They were obviously Sigyn's, and they had obviously been torn or cut off of her. Given the clean tear Loki assumed the latter. Forseti had probably used a small dagger to accomplish the task. This discovery forced the adrenaline to finally fade and left Loki facing the harsh reality of the situation. It wasn't as though Loki wasn't accustomed to seeing, and/or removing, the intimate apparel of a woman, but this was different. This wasn't just some random girl that Loki was having his way with. This was Sigyn. This was the most important female in his life aside from his mother. Even at the discovery of Sign's underwear however, part of Loki still hoped that he, Thor, and Lady Sif had arrived in time to keep Forseti from claiming his prize. The fact that he had never gotten her into the bed was a sign in his favor. This final hope was dashed though when Lady Sif came out of the bathroom to retrieve Sigyn a nightgown. In her hands she held the bodice and underskirt that Sigyn had been wearing previously._

_"I think you'll want to see this…" she whispered, handing the bundle to Thor who had stood from his seat on her arrival. _

_Sif quickly grabbed a nightgown from Sigyn's wardrobe and disappeared back into the bathroom before Thor undid the bundle of clothes. It took only a moment for both Thor and Loki to notice what Sif had wanted them to see. Thor angrily threw the ruined fabric across the room in anger. Loki cursed himself for not thinking to completely check Sigyn over before sending her off to the bath. She never had turned her back to him so he never noticed the blood, and Thor had been too busy harassing Forseti to think to look at Sigyn._

_"We shouldn't have lingered so long in the garden!" Thor fumed. "If we had come straight here maybe we would have been in time to… help her…to stop him…"_

_Thor would have continued on in a rage so Loki interceded._

_"It was my fault. I knew that Forseti was not to be trusted, and instead of keeping an eye on him I let a woman distract me."_

_Neither Thor nor Loki could deny that the deed had been done. The only thing that was left was to ascertain once and for all if Forseti had forced himself upon Sigyn. Loki felt a bit uneasy about asking Sigyn in a blunt fashion, but he knew that she would not approve of him beating around the bush. The two Princes did not have long to wait before Sigyn and Sif left the bathroom. Lady Sif dismissed herself quietly so that the siblings could have some privacy. The three stood there awkwardly for a moment. Surprisingly it was Sigyn who spoke first._

_"I know what you would ask me." She began. "You wish to know if Forseti's advances were welcomed or if… if he took me by force." _

_Loki nodded silently, and Sigyn took a deep breath. _

_"No, I did not welcome his advances. I never wanted him to… to…" but Sigyn could not finish her statement._

_The dirty blonde quickly covered her face in shame as silent dry sobs racked her body. Thor, always the more willing to show his emotions, quickly wrapped his arms around Sigyn and began to 'shush' her. After a few minutes of whispering comfort to her, Thor led Sigyn to her bed and pulled the covers back. She reluctantly agreed to go to sleep, but begged her brothers to remain with her till she finally drifted off. Loki and Thor both readily agreed. Thor brought a chair up to the side of her bed and Loki climbed in next to her. Loki sat above the covers and just held Sigyn to his chest so she could hear his heartbeat. The steady pulse finally lulled her to what Loki hoped was a dreamless sleep. There was nothing that the law could do for her, but as Loki sat there with her sleeping on his chest he realized that there was something he could do. Forseti might have taken her innocence away from her, but Loki could at least help her forget. Sigyn would never have to remember the humiliation that Forseti had put her through. Loki's mind was quickly made up, and without running his plan by Thor, Loki cast a spell that would repress the memory of what had happened. Sigyn would wake up the next morning knowing only that Forseti had walked her to her bedchambers and that she had gone to sleep soon after. The spell complete Loki urged Thor that it was safe for them to leave. On the way out he scooped up the ruined underwear and underclothes in order that he could destroy the only physical evidence that could jar her memory. Once outside of Sigyn's room Thor asked Loki why he had taken the clothing and Loki enlightened Thor on the spell he had used. It had been Loki's intention all along to do so to avoid Thor saying anything that would break the spell. Thor agreed that Loki's idea was probably for the best, and they determined that they should inform Lady Sif the next morning to insure that she would not say anything to Sigyn either. _

_As for Forseti, Loki determined that while he might have won for now, he would pay for his actions in time. Loki intended to make Forseti's life a living nightmare in every legal way possible as penance for raping his sister, and he did. _


	22. Pizza and pleas

When Sigyn finally returned to the conference room Stark informed her that she, Loki, and Thor would continue staying with him. There was little conversation on the helicopter ride back to Stark tower, which put Sigyn at ease after his awkward line of questioning earlier. Loki seemed to be staring off into space, Thor was looking intently out the window, and Stark was messing with his cell phone. A red-haired woman came out onto the balcony as the helicopter landed on the tower. Sigyn assumed that this was Tony's lady, Pepper, and Stark quickly confirmed her suspicion.

"Pepper!" He greeted as soon as his feet touched the landing pad.

Pepper looked a tad frustrated with her arms crossed over her chest. If she was upset before Thor, Loki, and Sigyn exited the helicopter, it faded to utter shock upon their appearance.

"You have some explaining to do." She scolded Stark.

"When don't I?" He quipped back before kissing her on the cheek, which earned him a begrudged smile.

The group quickly entered the tower to avoid any prying eyes.

"So what's for dinner?" Stark asked. "I'm famished."

Sigyn saw Thor's eyes light up and smiled. She hadn't realized that neither she nor Thor and Loki had eaten since the night before on Asgard. Tony and Pepper argued about what should be done, and finally Pepper won out.

"We were thinking we should order something in and eat it here." She suggested. "What would you all prefer?"

The three non-Midgardians looked at each other in a not so sure manner.

"Sushi? Pizza? Tacos? Anything you want." Stark offered.

"Maybe it would be best if you decide." Sigyn offered. "I have never had Midgardian food before so I don't know what would be best."

"Pizza it is then!" Stark exclaimed happily. "J.A.R.V.I.S put in the order." He commanded the A.I.

"What kind should I order sir?" J.A.R.V.I.S asked politely.

"I don't know, what do you think guys? Maybe cheese for 'Sailor Moon,' we need to watch her delicate figure after all… and meat lovers for the big man. I want pepperoni… and what about you 'reindeer games?' Do you even eat? You know on second thought J.A.R.V.I.S just get one of everything, and a six pack."

"Don't you think there's already enough alcohol in the tower? Pepper questioned.

"You can't have pizza without beer 'pep!'" Tony stated.

Pepper rolled her eyes, but smiled anyway. Sigyn couldn't help but be amused by Stark and Pepper's relationship. It was clear that while Tony obviously frustrated Pepper, she loved him deeply.

The pizza was ordered, and Stark began to formally introduce Pepper to the group.

"You already know Thor, my fellow Avenger." He said pointing to Thor.

Thor took the opportunity to take Pepper's hand and kiss it in a proper Asgardian greeting.

"It is a pleasure to formally meet the Lady of the Man of Iron..." Thor began to address her.

"Yea, yea, its wonderful blah blah blah. Back to the introductions please." Stark interjected. "Over there is 'Sirius Black,' also known as the guy who tried to take over the world. Last I saw him, he was in handcuffs and a muzzle with his tail firmly set between his legs on his way back to Asgard."

Loki didn't even grace the comment with a reaction, which frustrated Stark slightly. So far there were only two topics that seemed to get to the 'god of mischief.' One was his adoption, and the second was Sigyn. The fairly rude comment did earn a slightly surprised reaction from Sigyn however, which reminded Tony that he still needed to introduce her.

"Last, but certainly not least, this is Thor's half-sister Sigyn."

Pepper gave Sigyn a smile, which Sigyn returned. Before Pepper could address Sigyn however, Stark continued speaking.

"So how did your date with Steve go?"

"Wait, Steve Rogers!?" Pepper asked unbelievingly.

"Yep, Captain America himself." Stark confirmed.

"It was a mission Mr. Stark _not _a date," Sigyn corrected, "and as you already know it went well."

"So you three are here because of S.H.I.E.L.D?" Pepper determined.

"In a way. You could say that I enlisted their help." Sigyn offered.

"We'll explain it over dinner." Stark promised. "Right now we need to find some "Midgardian" clothes for the two boys."

"What is wrong with our attire?" Thor asked.

"The same thing that was wrong with your sister's dress. You can't blend in wearing leather and armor that looks like it belongs at a Renaissance festival." Stark pointed out.

"Why must we worry about blending in?" Thor prodded.

"Since we'll have to make daily trips to S.H.I.E.L.D it is likely that normal people are going to see you, and the fewer people that recognize you the better." Stark explained.

"Well they won't be able to wear anything of yours." Pepper pointed out.

Stark took another look at the two 'gods' and was forced to agree.

"No probably not, and its too late to do any shopping today." He added ruefully.

"We'll have J.A.R.V.I.S get their sizes and he can order some clothes that can be here tomorrow before you leave for S.H.I.E.L.D." Pepper suggested.

"Good idea. You heard the woman J.A.R.V.I.S. time to go shopping." Stark ordered.

"Yes sir." The A.I. replied.

Sigyn wasn't sure how this odd voice was going to get her brothers' sizes or how it would order them clothes, but she didn't have time to ask Stark before the pizza arrived.

Stark and Pepper went to get the food, but not before Stark commanded that Thor remove his armor before coming to the dinner table. Thor did not protest, and in a few minutes he had removed the heavy armor leaving him in a pair of knit pants and plain tunic, much like the ones Loki was wearing. By the time Pepper and Tony came upstairs with the pizza Sigyn had taken off her leather boots and was sliding across the tile floor in her socks.

"A Millennia old… really?" Stark scolded teasingly.

Sigyn's cheeks were flushed in giddiness and she playfully stuck her tongue out at him.

"Seriously you make _me_ look like an adult." He lamented before leading the group to the dining room table.

Much to Sigyn's joy, the eating area had a lit fireplace. Being rather cold natured she took the seat closest to the flame. Loki chose the seat nearest Sigyn, and Thor sat next to Loki. This seemed to annoy Loki because he scooted his chair ever so slightly closer to Sigyn. The pizza boxes were opened and laid out on the table. Stark and Thor wasted no time digging in to the food while Pepper ate at a less aggressive pace. At first Sigyn and Loki simply watched their companions eat. Sigyn's first hesitance stemmed from not being sure how you ate this particular food, but her continued abstinence came from Loki's. She knew that he had to be hungry, but that he was too stubborn to eat. She also knew that two people could play at this game, and determined not to eat until Loki did. Secretly Sigyn hoped that if Loki noticed what she was doing he would eat something just for her sake. Loki had always been lean, but his time in confinement had caused him to become dangerously emaciated, and Sigyn would not allow him to starve himself to death either intentionally or unintentionally. Pepper noticed the hesitance of the two younger Asgardians, but didn't comment on it till Thor had eaten about two pizzas and had drunk all the beer, save for the one Tony was clutching onto.

"Is everything ok?" She asked kindly.

"Of course." Sigyn replied.

A lie.

"Neither of you have touched dinner." The redhead pressed. "Aren't you hungry?"

"No." Loki answered swiftly.

Another lie.

Sigyn and Loki locked gazes. Each knew the other was lying, but neither wanted to be the one to cave in.

"Ok, let's get a couple of things straight. The two of you are acting like five-year-olds, and as long as you two act like you are children I'm going to treat you like them. So consider this your friendly warning. If you both don't eat your dinner I'm going to tie you both to a chair and have Pepper spoon feed you squished peas or something like that." Stark huffed in frustration.

Sigyn scrunched her nose in disgust and Loki seemed to be considering how serious Stark's threat was. The other three occupants of the dinner table curiously watched to see if Sigyn and Loki would finally give in. To their relief, both of them did. Though neither of them ate much, they did eat enough to convince Stark that they weren't going to starve. Once Sigyn had finished she explained to Pepper why she had come to Earth. Pepper was an attentive listener, and even asked a few questions of her own.

"So what's next?" She asked once Sigyn had finished her tale.

"We need to figure out what Thanos's next move is." Sigyn explained. "I have two things that Thanos wants which means he might come for me, but since he doesn't know where I am he might go in search of the other Infinity Gems first."

"What do you think Loki?" Thor asked.

Loki closed his eyes to think for a moment.

"It is difficult to say. Thanos doesn't know the exact locations of the Infinity Gems so he might try to take out the threat of Sigyn first. On the other hand, Thanos is not aware of Sigyn's powers so he might not consider her to be a legitimate threat to his quest. If that is the case Thanos will go looking for the Gems first, and will worry about destroying Sigyn later."

"Destroying her?" Stark asked skeptically. "Isn't that being a little too overdramatic?"

"Not even a little." Loki defended. "You don't know what Thanos is capable of. If he catches Sigyn he won't simply kill her, he will tear her apart piece by piece. He will break her body, mind, and spirit slowly. Thanos will relish her screams and bask in her moans. He will rejoice over her broken spirit, and only after he has twisted every last sadistic pleasure he can from her will he finally kill her." Loki seethed, his emotions getting uncharacteristically out of control.

"So that is what he did to you. Its why you didn't believe that I was real." Sigyn puzzled out.

Loki had stood and moved away from the table, his back to its occupants. He was unconsciously clenching his hands into fists so tight that Sigyn feared he would dig his nails into his palms.

"You have no idea what he did." Loki replied coldly. "He showed me who I was from the beginning. Odin may have been able to cover up the fiend I was for a time, but no spell can hide a monster forever."

"Loki that is unfair…" Thor began, but Loki cut him off.

"What do you know of unfair? You were always the beloved Prince, and I merely your shadow. How can you, a true Asgardian son, relate to a stolen relic like me!?"

"You are no relic Loki, and how could you be in my shadow when you always stood at my right hand side?" Thor whispered.

Loki let out a mirthless laugh, but didn't reply.

Pepper and Tony stared at the three Asgardians a bit uncomfortably. The trio had suddenly slipped into a language that neither of them recognized, but they could tell that the argument was a personal one. They would have left to give them some privacy, but it wouldn't have been possible without walking by a very upset Loki.

Silence ensued for a moment, and Sigyn took advantage of the pause in conversation to fully form her next argument.

"You are right Loki, Thor doesn't know what it is like to live in someone else's shadow. He has never had to deal with never meeting the expectations of society. Beyond your shared experiences growing up there is little that is relatable between the two of you, but do not think for one moment that you are the only person in the Nine Realms to have felt that way."

"What would you know of _my_ struggles Sigyn? You are merely an entitled Princess who has never stepped out of her golden palace to experience the real world!" Loki shouted.

"How can you know what I have experienced?" Sigyn asked, rising from her chair.

"I know because I watched you grow up!" Loki replied while turning on Sigyn. "You have always lived in ignorant bliss, and when the world finally gets a hold of you it will tear your fantasy apart till you are simply a quivering child in the face of a storm that you cannot survive!" Loki stormed while taking Sigyn by the shoulders and shaking her small frame.

Tony and Thor made a motion to get up and pull Loki off of Sigyn, but Pepper's hand on Tony's arm forced him to pause.

"'Pep'…" he whispered, but Pepper shook her head.

"Let Sigyn handle this." She urged.

Tony reluctantly agreed and took his seat again. Thor, on the other hand, remained standing, but made no further motion to intervene.

"You might have watched me grow up, but, as you and Thor so perceptively noted last night, I have changed since then. If I ever lived in a fantasy world I have long since left it. You know not what I have seen or experienced in your absence Loki, and you assume falsely if you believe that innocence is the equivalent of ignorance."

"If you have rid yourself of your fantasy why do you still refuse to see me for who I truly am? You and your foolish brother believe that I am something I am not, and instead of face the truth you create some illusory goodness in me. I was always doomed to become the monster you see before you, both the murderer and liar. My parentage doomed me to one and Odin to the other!"

By this point Loki was gripping Sigyn firmly behind her head to force her to look him in the eyes. What he didn't realize however was that Sigyn had no intention of looking away. Loki's green eyes were filled with rage, sorrow, and confusion. Fortunately, Sigyn knew not to make the mistake of showing him pity. Loki had no use for it. What he craved were answers, answers that Sigyn didn't have.

"Let me see you." Sigyn requested quietly but confidently.

The request caused Loki to pull back slightly.

"What?" He asked, unsure if he had heard her correctly.

"Let me see you. Let me see the Frost Giant whom Odin saved."

Loki couldn't believe what Sigyn was asking for. Not even Thor had requested to see Loki in his natural form. A form not hidden by spells or enchantments. Thor had never desired to see Loki as he was, simply as he remembered him. Sigyn on the other hand seemed to desire the knowledge of who Loki was now. Indecision took over. Loki had never willingly let down the spell that hid his Frost Giant form. It repulsed him as much as he knew it would repulse Sigyn, but he wasn't sure he could refuse Sigyn's request. What if it didn't frighten her, what if she was willing to accept what Loki had become? She wouldn't have to like the change, but maybe she would stop pleading for him to return to the person he was, as Thor seemed so insistent on doing.

Loki took a step away from Sigyn so as not to accidently burn her skin when he lifted the concealing enchantment. He closed his eyes, and when he opened them again he could feel the shift in his body temperature. The room suddenly felt a bit too warm for his liking. It took Loki a second to gather up the courage to meet Sigyn's gaze. When he did finally look her way, he was surprised to see that she had not withdrawn away from him in horror. He quickly searched her eyes for the traces of disgust and fear that he knew should be there, but he was simply met with wonderment. Sigyn took a step closer to him and stretched out her hand to him, causing Loki to panic. He threw a confused look at Thor who shrugged his shoulders slightly to Loki's silent plea to keep Sigyn back. Loki couldn't let Sigyn touch him for fear of his extremely cold skin harming her.

"Don't touch me!" he warned in a harsh voice.

Sigyn ignored the comment and grabbed his hand. Loki tried to jerk it back before his skin gave her frostbite, but he was unable to free himself.

_"When did her hands become so strong?"_ He questioned silently.

He watched Sigyn inspect his hand in awe. His body's freezing temperature should have been giving her frostbite, but it didn't seem to even faze her. Once his initial shock wore off he began to observe Sigyn's actions. She was softly tracing the markings that ran along his hand, and soon was rolling up his shirtsleeve to follow the path of the marks. She allowed her inspection to continue to his elbow before stopping. Sigyn then turned her eyes to Loki's face, and he could see his own reflection in her currently blue-grey eyes. He thought she might begin to trace the markings on his face, but she resisted the urge. Instead she simply smiled.

"Mine are better, they glow."

It took Loki a moment to process what she had said. He had been prepared for some sort of derogatory comment or a request that he let the enchantment take over again, but a joke? Sigyn took Loki's lack of response as a sign that he had been upset by the comment, and she quickly apologized.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to offend."

Loki pulled his sleeve down.

"Are you not repulsed, nay, frightened by the very sight of me?" He asked almost desperately.

"What is there to fear in your appearance? I hardly see how your looks have any bearing on your personality. It was not your physical form that drove you to seek the destruction of Jotunheim. It was not your blue skin that induced you to invade Midgard. The problem lies deeper than that."

Loki let the concealment enchantment take back over, and watched as his skin returned to its Asgardian coloring.

"So where exactly does my problem lie?" He asked in a skeptical tone.

"Your mind, your way of thinking. It was the idea of what your physical state symbolized to you that pushed you over the edge." She stated.

Loki sneered. "Really, are you sure its not my heart?" He mocked.

"Ridicule me all you like Loki, but it will not cause me to shy from the truth. Something, or someone, had you so convinced that you are a monster beyond salvation that you chose to solve your problems by force. The Loki I remember looking up to would never have done that. He would have used his intelligence to see through their lies and his own self deception!"

Loki stood in stunned silence for a moment.

"You looked up to me?" He finally asked.

"I didn't think it was that difficult to figure out. Every time I came home to Asgard you were the one I wanted to spend time with. Each time you and Thor returned from battle it was you whom I embraced first. I was always asking you questions and pestering you to teach me how to use my magic because I wanted to be like you. I wanted to be able to keep a cool head in any situation and be able to get my way by the mere power of suggestion as opposed to pounding someone's head in. Maybe if you had spent more time being thankful for your strengths and less time trying to be Thor you would have seen that."

"And what about Thor?" Loki asked, sending an envious look in Thor's direction.

"What about him?" Sigyn asked in confusion.

"You might have admired me, but surely like everyone else you loved him best."

"Why can I not love you both equally?" Sigyn queried. "I assure you that while my reasons for loving each of you are different, it does not mean that I favored one of you over the other. I always longed to have Thor's sunny disposition and ability to converse with anyone and everyone, but I also wished for your reserved self-assurance and wit. There is no universal law that declares I must love one of my brothers, whether half-brother or adopted, better than the other."

Loki searched Sigyn's countenance for anything that betrayed a lie, but there was nothing. Though Loki could never bring himself to believe Thor and Odin's claims of love, he could not find it within himself to doubt Sigyn's. Something in her unwavering gaze wouldn't allow him a qualm about her sincerity. He knew that Sigyn was probably wondering what was going on in his head at the moment. Without the use of his magic Loki couldn't stop her from rummaging through his mind if she so desired, but something was holding her back. Perhaps she could see that he was rattled and was allowing him the courtesy of privacy while his conflicting thoughts battled for dominance. Loki sat down and began to rub his temples, a bothersome habit that he was beginning to develop.

"If only you knew what I have seen Sigyn. In my exile Thanos revealed to me the true dark nature of my heart. Surely there can be no good left, assuming there was ever any there to begin with."

Sigyn kneeled down and turned Loki's head to face her.

"Loki, Thanos has messed with your mind not your heart. Both good and evil have always resided in you, but that is the reality of every being. We all must face the enigma of our own duality. I believe that, despite the warped worldview you have adopted as of late, you still have the capacity and even desire to act on the good in your heart."

Part of Loki couldn't comprehend how Sigyn could be so sure of his desire to make things right, when harming her had been the final act that convinced him of his own barbaric nature. Unable to fully wrap his mind around Sigyn's intense loyalty Loki decided to change topics, and finally whispered the question about his past that haunted him most.

"How can someone who was raised as a lie be expected to become anything but a liar?"

Sigyn seemed to consider his question carefully. Not able to give him an answer, she gave him the next best thing. Understanding.

"You were never given an easy lot Loki, but if anyone can appreciate your pain it is I. We are like the opposite sides of the same coin."

She needed to give Loki no explanation. He was acutely aware of the similarities between their situations. Neither of them was to ever ascend the throne of Asgard, neither of them was to ever be fully a part of the world they were raised in, and neither of them had previously cared about the first two things. They represented two similar situations that had been handled in two very different manners. She was the light, he the dark.

"I never wanted Midgard…" Loki breathed unexpectedly.

"I know." Sigyn whispered back.

Sigyn could see Thor straighten up a bit at this unforeseen admission.

"I never wanted Odin's throne, and I certainly didn't take it after Odin fell into his sleep, it was given to me."

"The order of succession. With Thor gone you were the only one eligible." Sigyn reassured.

Loki studied Sigyn's face and he couldn't help but feel a spark somewhere deep inside. Something in her small smile gave him hope. Things were not fine, but for the first time in a long time Loki began to think that maybe in the end they could be. It was progress.


	23. Cyber spy

Author's Note: Hello to those who actually read Author's Notes (I certainly always read them)! Between moving my brother off to college and my own personal relocation, I will not be able to post for a little while. I could theoretically post everything I have written so far (which is actually quite a bit of material) , but I still want time to look over those chapters again. With that in mind, any comments, questions, and well thought out complaints would be appreciated. So if there is anything you want to see in this story (i.e. a character, relationship, scenario, etc.) speak now or forever hold your peace! Actually, you can message me whenever I just wanted to sound dramatic for a moment. As always I own nothing save my interpretation of Sigyn.

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"That was the strangest dinner I've had in a while." Tony admitted to Pepper before crawling in bed with her.

The conversation between Loki and Sigyn had been in a foreign language that held some similarities to modern-day German. Since Tony had footage of the dining room on his security camera he had decided to have J.A.R.V.I.S translate the conversation. He was about to watch the exchange with the subtitles when Pepper spoke up.

"Are you sure you want to watch this? I mean is it even right to?" She asked while positioning herself behind him and wrapping her arms around his neck.

"A guy turned blue in my dining room 'pep,' and I would like to know why."

"I do too, but I get the feeling that whatever those to said to one another was intended to stay private. Why else would they start speaking in a different language?"

"If they wanted privacy then they should've taken the conversation elsewhere." Tony pointed out. "Listen, this guy Loki doesn't just loose his cool. You threaten him and he just smirks, you try to rile him up and he just stares back at you with a bored look on his face."

"That must be exceedingly frustrating for you…" Pepper teased before placing a quick kiss on Tony's cheek.

"Tell me about it… I've only seen this guy totally lose it three times, and each time there is one common denominator."

Pepper could tell Tony wasn't going to let this go, and decided to indulge him by asking him to explain.

"And what is this common denominator?"

"Sigyn." He replied simply as the translated conversation began to play.

The exchange consisted of some information that he was already aware of, like Loki's adoption, but also gave him some insight that he had been missing before. Apparently the so-called 'god of lies' was not only adopted, but was from an entirely different race. The things that stuck out to Tony the most however, were Sigyn's fortitude and Loki's obvious struggle. Like Thor, Sigyn wasn't going to give up on Loki, but she was going about it an entirely different way. Where Thor merely saw a prodigal younger brother that needed to return home, Sigyn saw a broken man that needed to be entirely rebuilt. She wanted to help Loki gather all the broken pieces of his life and assist him in putting them back together. Tony couldn't help but be reminded of Pepper in a way. She was the woman who had helped put him back together after all. Possibly the most shocking thing in the video though was Loki's admission to Sigyn about his interests in Midgard. Sigyn had already suggested that Loki had not been in full control of himself during his "invasion" of Earth when she brought up his eye color, but hearing it from Loki's lips gave Tony even more reason to believe she was correct. Perhaps it shouldn't have reassured him considering Loki was apparently known for his ability to lie, but something in the way the demigod had held Sigyn's gaze convinced Tony that Loki was telling the truth.

Tony put his laptop up and snuggled with Pepper.

"You know something Pepper, Sigyn reminds me of you."

"Really?" Pepper sleepily replied.

"Mhm." Tony murmured.

"Do you want to know something?" she murmured back.

"I already know everything…" he baited.

"I bet you don't know this."

"Try me."

"Loki reminds me of you."

"How do you figure that?" Stark asked, rousing a bit from his drowsiness.

"He likes to push people's buttons."

"I don't think one similarity is enough basis for you to say that he reminds you of me." Stark argued.

"Maybe not," Pepper conceded "but he also gets excessively worried about those he cares about, kind of like you."

"I hate to break it to you 'pep,' but I don't think he cares about anyone."

"Hmmm." She hummed. "That's where you're wrong."

Before Tony could demand that she explain, Pepper had drifted off to sleep.


	24. Remembrance, reasons, and research

Author's Note: I'm back! Sorry for the delayed update, but moving is time consuming business. Before the chapter begins I want to say "Thank you!" to Akila-Delpanther-Draconan for your super sweet review. I was already excited about updating, but your review made me even more so. I have little butterflies of happiness in my stomach who are now telling me to shut up and begin. Without further ado, Chapter 24.

* * *

Thor sat quietly in the living room with his sleeping adopted brother as dawn broke. It was unusual for Thor not to be able to fall asleep, but these were unusual circumstances. The previous day had brought up a few unexpected surprises that he couldn't shake from his mind. It had been ages since he had thought about Sigyn's rape so between that and the unexpected tête-à-tête between Loki and Sigyn at dinner Thor had had plenty to think over.

_"What do you know of unfair? You were always the beloved Prince, and I merely your shadow. How can you, a true Asgardian son, relate to a stolen relic like me!?"_

_"You are no relic Loki, and how could you be in my shadow when you always stood at my right hand side?"_

Thor had meant those words. Loki had always been Thor's closest confidant, and that would not have changed when he took the throne. In fact, Loki would have been his greatest asset. As it were, none of that mattered now. Thor was beginning to realize that he would never be able to understand what his brother had been through. Sigyn, on the other hand, seemed to be able to connect to Loki's struggles. It was somewhat ironic to Thor that Loki claimed no one could love him when in fact he was both Thor and Sigyn's favorite. It was not that Thor didn't love Sigyn or she didn't love him, it was just that each one preferred the company of Loki. How could the intelligent and ever-perceptive Loki miss that fact?

_"Let me see you. Let me see the Frost Giant whom Odin saved."_

Sigyn's request had shocked Thor as much as it had apparently shocked Loki. Thor could tell that Loki was reluctant to give in to her request, but in the end he had. Thor's initial astonishment at Loki's Frost Giant form was short lived. Instead he too was filled with a sense of curiosity. When Thor had led his friends into Jotunheim he had been in such a rage that he hadn't really taken a moment to examine his foes. He hadn't actually noticed anything beyond their tall stature, blue skin, and crimson eyes. Watching Loki's transformation however, had revealed some of the more minute characteristics of the Frost Giants. The most notable of these were the markings that covered his body. Sigyn had been instantly attracted to this detail, probably due to the association of her own markings.

_"I never wanted Midgard…" _

_"I know." _

_"I never wanted Odin's throne, and I certainly didn't take it after Odin fell into his sleep, it was given to me." _

_"The order of succession. With Thor gone you were the only one eligible." _

Thor couldn't be as sure as Sigyn was that Loki never wanted to rule Midgard. He had seemed pretty adamant about ruling it when Thor had spoken with him on the cliff, but Loki and Sigyn never seemed to be able to deceive each other so maybe Loki was telling the truth. As for the throne of Asgard, Thor believed that Loki was being completely honest.

_"I never wanted the throne. I only ever wanted to be your equal."_

Loki's words before their battle on the Bifrost rang constantly through Thor's mind. There would have been a point in time when Thor would have tried to argue with Loki about their equality. He would have claimed that they were different yet equal in the eyes of Asgard, but Thor was wise enough now to know that that was not the truth. As he thought back over their youth Thor could not deny that he saw the preference that had been shown to him by the public. In their eyes Loki was not Thor's equal. Still, Loki had never craved popularity. There was only one person in the Nine Realms that Loki had sought approval from, and that was Odin.

Thor didn't know how much longer he sat in silence before Loki awoke. The awkward tension that usually filled the room when the two were left alone was less than usual. Loki merely stretched out and tried to tame his wild hair with his fingers. Thor thought about putting his armor back on, but then recalled that Midgardian clothing was supposed to be arriving for him soon. With nothing to keep him occupied, Thor resorted to looking out the window. The sun was rising steadily while casting a warm glow on the strange city outside. Thor had assumed that there would be no conversation between Loki and himself so the sound of Loki's voice cutting through the silence startled him a bit.

"Have the Midgardian clothes arrived yet?"

"Not that I know of. Do you even plan on wearing them? Aren't Midardian clothes below you?" Thor replied in a tone that hid none of his bitterness.

"They would not be my first choice, but I will accept any opportunity to get out of this prison garb." Loki answered before trying to smother a yawn.

Before Thor could make any reply, J.A.R.V.I.S spoke up.

"Sirs I think you should know that Sigyn's vital signs are elevated. Her breathing and heart rate are irregular, and they show no signs of righting themselves. I have attempted to wake her up, but I have had no luck."

"What room is she in?" Thor asked worriedly.

"The first room on the right in the Northern wing."

Thor quickly headed in the direction J.A.R.V.I.S indicated. When he entered the room he found Sigyn tossing and turning in her sleep. He quickly knelt by her bedside and placed his hand on her forehead. He was glad to find that her sweating was not caused by any fever. He checked her pulse, which he found to be racing. Her breathing was also too fast and shallow. Thor could feel panic rising in his chest. He had no medical training beyond how to fix mild battle wounds so there was no way for him to know what was wrong with her. For the second time that morning Loki's voice startled him.

"We need to wake her. She is having a night terror."

Thor thought about asking Loki how he could be certain, but something in Loki's voice told him not to argue. He quickly tried to still Sigyn's thrashing body, but this simply caused her to lash out against him. Loki, noticing that Thor needed assistance, quickly approached the bed. Thor was able to grab her wrists to keep her from accidentally striking him again and Loki took the opportunity to climb onto the bed. He instinctively pulled Sigyn back against him to lay her head on his chest. She unconsciously struggled against his hold, but Loki was able to keep her head stilled over his heart. Thor used his free hand to stroke Sigyn's tussled hair.

"Everything is all right Sigyn. Please wake up." He encouraged in a soft tone.

Slowly Sigyn began to relax. Her breathing and heartbeat began to match Loki's, and Thor determined that it was safe to release her hands again. A few moments after Sigyn's breathing steadied her eyes began to slowly open. She attempted to sit up, but was unable to because of Loki's grip on her. The unexpected resistance caused Sigyn to perk up faster than normal.

"Thor? Loki? What is going on?"

"You were having a nightmare." Thor explained.

"Actually you were having a night terror." Loki corrected while releasing Sigyn from his hold.

"A night terror?"

"Yes. I assume you don't know what brought it on." Loki stated while getting off of the bed.

Sigyn simply shook her head "no."

"I assumed as much." Loki replied slightly disappointed.

"We will leave you to prepare yourself for the day." Thor added before pulling Loki out of the room with him.

On their way back to the living room Pepper met them.

"Good morning." She greeted. "Your clothes have been delivered. I set them in the living room. Tony is in our shower right now, but once he is done one of you can jump in."

"Thank you Lady Pepper." Thor replied.

Pepper couldn't hide a small smile at Thor's overblown manners. "Has your sister gotten up yet?"

"She has just awoken." Thor again responded.

"Great! J.A.R.V.I.S decided that it would be a good idea to buy her a set of clean clothes so she could return the ones she was wearing yesterday back to S.H.I.E.L.D."

"A good idea indeed, but Sigyn has just gotten into the shower." Loki noted suddenly. "Perhaps you can give them to me and I will see to it that she recieves them."

Thor couldn't help but think that this entire day had come about just to stun him because Pepper readily agreed to this idea. She handed the clothes and shoes over to the demigod who had just recently tried to take over her home and kill her lover without a second thought on the subject. Thor waited till Pepper was down the hall and on the elevator before he confronted Loki about this bizarre idea.

"Why do you suddenly seem so interested in doing errands?"

"What are you talking about?" Loki asked in mock ignorance.

"Why did you just offer to take Sigyn her clothes when Lady Pepper could have done it just as easily."

"I was simply wishing to relieve the Lady of an unnecessary burden." Loki replied while making his way to the living room.

"Really," Thor began as he followed Loki to retrieve his new garments "because the Loki that you claim to be would not give second thought to a Midgardian doing such a menial task. In fact, he would comment on how fitting a job it was."

"Is this an interrogation?" Loki asked in an accusing voice.

"You always have some reason for the things you do, and I want to know what the reason is this time. You don't intend to slit Sigyn's throat do you?" Thor replied in partial seriousness.

The accusation of killing Sigyn seemed to genuinely upset Loki, even if only a little bit.

"My, my. Must every action I take be met with skepticism?"

"Considering your actions as of late, yes."

"If I had wished to kill Sigyn I would have done it last evening when I had my hand around her throat." Loki pointed out. "If you must know my reasoning for taking Sigyn's clothes to her it is this. Once she has finished using her shower I may use it, so it makes sense that I just take the clothes with me when I go to bathe. Do you now feel the need to put a stop to my most recent vile scheme?" Loki challenged.

Thor did not grace Loki's comment with a reply, and fortunately the arrival of Stark gave him the opportunity to slip off to take his own shower without further offending Loki.

Loki, on the other hand, was not as offended as Thor might have thought. In fact, he much preferred Thor's newfound skepticism to his former gullible attitude. It really did prove that Thor was beginning to grow up and face reality. Loki didn't think Thor would ever be exceedingly intelligent, but he was beginning to think that Thor might yet develop some common sense. Loki ignored Stark's constant stare as he gathered the clothing that was intended for him. It wasn't till he was walking back towards Sigyn's room that Stark decided to finally say anything.

"So is it true that you and Thor once had to retrieve his hammer by dressing up as women to trick some giants?" He asked casually.

Loki stopped in his tracks.

"Excuse me?"

Stark ignored Loki's confused reply and continued on. "Ooooh and I must know what it's like to give birth to an eight legged horse…"

"What in Odin's name are you rambling about?" Loki interjected.

"Oh you know, I was just doing some research on you and your brother yesterday."

"Research?"

"Yea research, and let me tell you, the Norse had some really interesting stories about you."

Loki let out an amused 'hmmm.' "I don't think I would trust anything that your Midgardian ancestors wrote about us. Their imaginations were rather wild. I must know though, what possessed you to study us?" Loki asked. He was clearly amused by Stark's endeavors.

"Nothing really, just curious. I'm not done yet of course. I haven't really looked beyond a couple of stories. I fully intend to spend some more time on the subject." Stark explained. He took a quick sip of his coffee before continuing. "I think I'll look up what they had to say about Sigyn next."

"I wouldn't bother." Loki retorted. "Sigyn has never been to Midgard before so I doubt any of your sources will even know she existed." He rationalized before heading off to Sigyn's room once more.


	25. Just a game

Author's Note: So I must confess that I really enjoyed writing this chapter. I have no idea why, but I did. Maybe it is because it gives a little better insight into the mischievous, and almost dark, side of Sigyn's character? Anyway, there may be some of you out there that try to sexualize this scene...don't. It is not sexually charged in any nature. Awkward, yes. Sexual, no. I own nothing, review, comment, complain, etc. etc. etc. You guys are intelligent enough to know the drill.

* * *

After Thor and Loki left Sigyn's room she quickly jumped out of bed and decided to shower off. Her apparent night terror had left her sweaty and uncomfortable. She quickly slipped off the nightgown and her undergarments before wrapping herself in a fluffy white towel. Sigyn approached the strange shower that Tony showed her the first night she had stayed in the guest room. She had been too nervous to use it that first evening, but today Sigyn was ready to try something new. She walked into the shower and closed the glass door behind her.

"Which thing am I supposed to turn?" She mused out loud as she inspected the knobs.

In Asgard the bath was actually a hot spring so there was no need for such strange doorknob looking things.

"Would you like some assistance?" J.A.R.V.I.S. politely enquired.

"Yes, please." Sigyn finally relented.

"The knob on your right controls the hot water, while the knob on your left controls the cold." The A.I. explained.

"Oh, well this can't be too difficult." Sigyn mused.

She took her towel off and placed it over the door.

"Right is hot…" she reminded herself as she turned the knob.

The water began to trickle out, and Sigyn decided that she needed to turn the knob further if she wanted the pressure to increase. She quickly turned the handle as far as she could and the water pressure immediately intensified. Sigyn sat happily under the stream until she realized that the water was getting hotter and hotter.

"Ah Hot, hot, HOT!" She began to squeal while running around the shower unsuccessfully trying to dodge the water droplets that now felt like burning lava on her skin. She managed to reach the hot water knob and turn it all the way off. She then quickly turned the left knob that controlled the cold water. She gingerly stepped under the cool water, but it wasn't long before the cold water became too icy for her tastes.

"Eeek. Cold!" She squeaked before jumping out of the shower completely.

Sigyn darted her hand in and turned the left knob completely off and then stared at the showerhead with distrust as if it had somehow betrayed her. She decided to give the shower one last try before giving up. This time she set both knobs to their halfway point and waited. Once she felt that the water was probably done changing temperatures she timidly stepped in. To her utter relief the water that now cascaded down her body was a bearable temperature. She would have liked to stay in the refreshing shower forever, but knew that she would be expected at S.H.I.E.L.D at some point so she should hurry. She quickly washed her hair and rinsed her body off and allowed herself a few more peaceful moments before stepping out of the shower. She wrapped her fuzzy towel around her body and hummed mindlessly as she combed her hair out. After finishing this not so easy task, Sigyn came to the sinking realization that she hadn't brought any clothes with her into the bathroom. She shook her head at her stupidity, and opened the door that lead into her temporary bedroom to fetch the clothes she had worn the day before. The sight that greeted her when she opened the door however caused her to gasp and hold her towel tightly to her body.

"Loki!? What are you doing in here!?" She cried.

"I came to deliver you a new set of clothes, and to take a shower." Loki explained as if nothing was amiss.

"Why couldn't you use Stark's?" Sigyn interrogated.

"Because Thor is already using it." Loki replied, handing the large bundle of clothes in his arms to Sigyn.

Loki smirked as Sigyn tried to hold all of the clothing while still keeping a firm grip on her towel. Her cheeks were flushed a deep shade of pink in embarrassment, and her blue-grey eyes glimmered with annoyance. Sigyn's righteous indignation was rather cute. It always had been. Without a second thought Loki sauntered into the bathroom, and turned on the shower.

The room was far too hot in Loki's opinion so he was only too happy to get his clothes off and step into the cold water. Before his captivity Loki had always been very particular about his personal hygiene. Aside from the loss of his magic, his inability to bathe on a regular basis had been Loki's greatest annoyance. The shampoo and conditioner Sigyn had apparently used smelled slightly too feminine for Loki's tastes, but considering it was the only thing available he wasn't going to complain. After rinsing off thoroughly Loki stepped out of the shower and wrapped a towel around his waist. He quickly ran the comb that was lying on the counter through his hair and sighed. He had missed the feeling of being clean. Once his hair had been thoroughly slicked back he laid the comb back down. His hair was still a bit long so there was nothing he could do about the ends that refused to do anything but curl out. Loki threw his dirty prison garb into a bin that looked like it was intended for soiled garments, and then turned to put on his new clothes. As his eyes landed on the bathroom counter he began to curse to himself. He had been so smug with disconcerting Sigyn that he had failed to realize that his clothes had also been in the pile that he had handed to her. That was a mistake that Loki knew Sigyn would make him pay for. He considered retrieving his old clothes and putting them on, but the thought of the dirty fabric against his clean skin caused him to decide against that plan. There was no choice but to face Sigyn and whatever punishment she had in store for him.

Loki slowly opened the door to the bathroom and poked his head out. He had hoped that Sigyn might have decided to have mercy on him and had simply left his clothes sitting on the bed for him, but no such luck. On his first inspection of the room Loki couldn't see his clothes anywhere, just Sigyn sitting contentedly in a chair by the window with a book in her hand. At the sound of the bathroom door opening she looked up from her book and smiled.

"Nice towel." She commented.

Loki could tell that she was trying hard not to laugh at his expense, but that didn't keep her eyes from dancing at her latest victory.

"Thank you, but I would prefer clothes if you do not mind." Loki replied uncomfortably. He couldn't help but feel that his towel was shrinking under Sigyn's gaze.

"Oh you would like your clothes back?" Sigyn feigned surprise.

"Seeing as you have no use for them, yes."

Sigyn placed her book on the nightstand, and the clothes appeared in her hands.

"Well what do you say when you would like something that someone else has?"

"Give it to me now and I won't be forced to end your pathetic life." Loki retorted.

"Ooooh bad call." Sigyn replied before her markings began to glow golden.

Loki was about to ask Sigyn what she was doing, but the feeling of his towel actually shrinking a size caused him to stop.

"Sigyn I was merely jesting! What do you think you are doing!?" Loki panicked.

"Forgive me if I find it difficult to believe you. I am merely teaching you some manners."

"Fine, may I _please_ have the clothing that I mistakenly left with you?" Loki asked none to happily.

"Yes, on one condition."

"And what is that condition?" Loki huffed.

"We make it a game." Sigyn replied unexpectedly.

"A game?" Loki answered slightly intrigued. "What kind of game do you have in mind?"

"The kind of game where I ask the questions and you answer them truthfully. You tell me the truth and you get a piece of clothing back."

"And if I lie?"

"I don't think you will do that." Sigyn stated.

"Sigyn I am the 'god of lies,' it would only be too natural for me to do so."

"If you lie then I shrink your towel till there is nothing left."

"Oh I see, at which point the game is over."

"Yes."

"Oddly enough it seems you have more to lose in this game than me. You would be more uncomfortable to see me in the nude than I would feel for you to see me in such a state." Loki pointed out.

"That may be true, but do not assume I have more to lose. If you lose this game I will be forced to kill you."

Loki was more than a bit taken aback by Sigyn's words. "You will kill me? That seems a bit drastic."

"Not really." Sigyn replied cooly. "Your indecision has gone on long enough. In the end you will either help me or you will help Thanos. You chose to answer my questions honestly, than you are on my side. Failure to do so will leave me no other choice but to assume that you are still working with Thanos, and therefore a threat. Adopted brother or not, the safety of the Nine Realms is not worth risking by sparing your life if you simply intend to betray us."

Loki looked deep into Sigyn's eyes hoping to see some hint that she was jesting, but all he found was how serious she was. He wouldn't have even thought Sigyn was capable of killing till he saw her do just that in the vault. To protect those she cared for she would do anything, and if that meant killing him she would go through with it. It would probably tear her apart, but Loki had no doubt that she would sacrifice him for the safety of the Nine Realms. Loki steeled himself for what was about to come.

"Ask away." He finally responded.

"Were you under the control of the Tesseract when you were sent to Midgard?"

Loki took in a deep breath. Any hopes he had of Sigyn's questions being easy ones were now dashed. "I think you already know the answer to that."

"Indulge me."

"Yes, I was under control of the Tesseract." He firmly replied.

Sigyn's eyes never left Loki's face as she reached down and grabbed a pair of strange short pants that Loki took to be some form of Midgardian undergarments. She threw them on the bed and Loki reached out to grab them.

"I wouldn't do that just yet." Sigyn warned.

"Why not?" Loki asked.

"Because you won't be able to touch them without burning yourself." Sigyn explained. "Once we finish our game you will be able to handle them safely." She assured him. "Now, am I correct to assume that it is impossible to be controlled by the Tesseract if you do not already have some natural inclination towards the actions that the controller would have you do?"

"I am afraid you will have to clarify your question." Loki requested.

"I simply mean that it would have been impossible for Thanos to force you through the power of the Tesseract to take over Midgard if you had not already had the desire for revenge on Thor in the first place."

"Yes, you are correct. In the cases of Barton and Selvig I was able to control them because each already had inclinations towards what I was asking them to do. Agent Barton's darker past made turning him on S.H.I.E.L.D simple, and Dr. Selvig wanted nothing more than to learn the secrets of the Tesseract regardless of how he came about that knowledge." Loki explained. "It is impossible to force someone with the power of the Tesseract to do something that they are completely against in their heart."

Sigyn took a second to process this information before throwing a pair of shoes on the bed.

"Was Thanos's intention for you to fail in your conquest of Midgard so you could be taken back to Asgard and be in a position to obtain the Infinity Gauntlet?"

Loki decided it was time to test Sigyn's resolve. "I don't know. You would have to ask him."

Sigyn rolled her eyes, and Loki could feel his towel shrink yet again. The diminishing towel, though slightly unsettling, did nothing to shock Loki. What really took Loki by surprise was the tightening feeling in his chest. It was as if a small weight was trying to compress his lungs and suffocate him. Sigyn was serious about her threat.

"Let us try that one again." Sigyn encouraged.

Loki struggled slightly to inhale, but managed to respond all the same. "No, that was not my intended goal."

Sigyn tossed Loki's socks onto the bed and continued to her next question.

"Had you discussed a contingency plan with Thanos should you fail in your conquest of Midgard?"

"Yes."

Loki's pants joined the other clothes on the bed.

"Was the contingency plan for you to use me to retrieve the Infinity Gauntlet?"

"If I was taken to Asgard, yes, but there was no way to be certain that I would be taken there. It was considered more likely that I would be incarcerated and executed by the Midgardians, in which case Thanos would have done nothing to intercede on my behalf."

A shirt flew across the room and onto the floor, overshooting its intended landing spot.

Sigyn paused before asking another question, causing Loki to fidget. The pressure on his lungs wasn't decreasing, and he was beginning to feel more and more uncomfortable with his lack of clothing.

"Why did you betray Thanos when I came to see you?"

"Who says that I did?"

Sigyn paused, and Loki fully expected the pressure on his lungs to worsen, but it didn't.

"When I went to see you in your prison you were trying to warn me of Thanos's plan, and when I finally figured it out you demanded that Thor get me out of there. Then when the explosions started you didn't attempt to drag me to the vault room, you shielded me with your own body." Sigyn decisively pointed out.

It was Loki's turn to pause before replying. He couldn't deny that his actions with Sigyn in his prison cell indicated his break from Thanos, but Loki wasn't sure what had driven those actions. There was only one honest answer he could give Sigyn, he simply hoped that she believed him.

"I do not know." He admitted.

Without hesitation Sigyn threw a coat onto the bed.

"Last one." Sigyn encouraged, while holding up a scarf for Loki to see. "If Thanos catches you will he kill you?"

Loki nodded. "Eventually."

Luckily Sigyn was smart enough to understand his hidden meaning, and nodded back. She approached Loki and placed the scarf around his bare neck.

"I knew you would pass my test." Sigyn said happily.

With those words her markings returned to their natural white state, and the pressure on Loki's chest was released.

"Would you have done it? Would you have gone all the way?" Loki managed to breath out in relief.

"I knew I wouldn't have to." Sigyn softly replied before heading towards the door. "You best hurry and get dressed, I imagine that the helicopter for S.H.I.E.L.D will be arriving soon." She added cheerfully before leaving Loki alone in the room.

Loki decided not to dwell on the fact that Sigyn had avoided answering his question, which meant yes, she had been willing to kill him. Instead of focusing on the implied "yes," he decided to ponder how she could have known that she wouldn't have to. She seemed confident enough about it. What did she know that he didn't? He debated asking her, but he was fairly certain that she probably wouldn't be willing to answer him just yet. Loki quickly put his clothes on and inspected himself. He had to admit Midgardian clothes didn't look half bad on him. J.A.R.V.I.S had done a nice job in selecting an outfit. The attire consisted of dark pants made of the same strange material Sigyn had been wearing yesterday, a deep grey shirt, black shoes, a black fitted leather coat, and a monochromatic scarf. Once finished, Loki threw the shrunken towel back into the bathroom and headed out to the living room.


	26. Evaluating the Realms

Author's Note: I didn't think I would update twice in one week, but I am actually far enough ahead in the story that I feel it is ok to go ahead and post this little section. In fact, I am so far ahead that I might just go on and post the next section too while I am at it.

* * *

"Wonderful, you finally decided to show up." Stark quipped upon Loki's arrival in the living room. "Did you enjoy your shower?" Stark taunted.

Sigyn tried to look as innocent as possible, Thor and Stark wouldn't probably be able to believe what had just conspired between Loki and her.

Loki ignored Stark and looked straight over to Thor.

"Next time _you_ are using Sigyn's shower." He mandated, and Sigyn had to hold back a laugh.

It wasn't really funny, nothing about that situation had been, but it had to be done. Sigyn had to ensure that Loki wasn't going to turn on her. In all honesty he still might, but if he did he now knew that she would be willing to kill him. Sigyn continued to read her Midgardian book till the arrival of the helicopter, at which point Thor and Tony's arguing distracted her.

"Putting you in normal clothes isn't going to do much good if you're carrying that thing around!" Stark protested.

"Would you rather I leave it here and be forced to call on it should the need arise?" Thor asked in a fairly satirical tone of voice.

Stark paused a moment and let the mental image of Thor's hammer slamming through his tower and half of New York play out in his mind.

"Ok, bring the hammer." He finally conceded.

The foursome climbed into the helicopter and Sigyn refocused on her book once more. It was an interesting story that Pepper picked out for her after dinner the night before. It was a rather somber tale ironically entitled _Crime and Punishment_. She had gotten about halfway through it already, much to Stark's surprise. As thought provoking as the book was, Sigyn was having a little difficulty concentrating on it. Something was nagging at the back of her mind, something bad.

The flight to S.H.I.E.L.D's base was thankfully uneventful. Once past security, Sigyn and her companions were led to the same conference room as before where the rest of the Avengers were waiting.

"Good morning." Captain Rogers welcomed.

"Good morning." Sigyn returned.

She took a seat next to Rogers, and was a tad surprised when Loki took the seat next to her. She found it difficult to believe that Loki would want to be anywhere near her after this morning's "game."

"So far we only have one Infinity Gem accounted for, and we have no idea what Thanos plans to do next. Will he or will he not come after you Sigyn?" Fury wasted no time in asking.

"I am not certain, he may or may not. I am not sure if he really considers me a threat. The only thing I am sure of is that I need to find the rest of the Infinity Gems before he does."

"Ok, lets assume he doesn't go after you first. Where would be the first place he would look for the Gems?" Agent Hill queried.

Sigyn paused for a moment. "Since he appears to be using his army in the search he could make one of two plays. Either he will go to the Realms that present the largest threats to him first so that his troops will be fresh for any battles that might occur, or he will take out the smaller Realms and confiscate their Gems before the larger ones can send aid. The second option would also mean that he could have more power when it comes time to face the larger Realms."

"And what Realms fall under what category?" Fury asked.

"Asgard is the largest threat to Thanos." Sigyn determined.

"Are you certain about that?" Agent Romanov asked. "They seemed to be able to infiltrate it fairly easily."

"Only because they knew where their target was located. If Thanos wishes to find the Infinity Gem that Odin has hidden, he will be forced to search the entire Realm. He will need an army for that, and there is no way he will be able to sneak an army past Heimdall." Sigyn explained.

"If Thanos brings an army into Asgard he better be prepared for a fight." Thor added. "There is no stronger army in the Nine Realms than that of Asgard."

Sigyn nodded in agreement before continuing. "Vanaheim and Nidavellir would pose the next two largest threats. The Vanir are the most similar to the Æsir culturally, and their army should not be underestimated. Nidavellir is the home of the Dwarfs. While they don't really pose much of a threat to Thanos's army, they supply most of the other Realms with their weaponry and are extremely clever. They will have hidden their Gem well, which will slow Thanos down for the short term. Unfortunately stopping Thanos in the short term is not enough, and we already know he has successfully attacked Vanaheim once."

"Is he currently in possession of the Gem that they had?" Fury asked.

"I am not sure." Thor answered. "The emissary from Vanaheim didn't seem to know anything about the Gem aside from the fact that Thanos wanted it."

"What about the rest of the Realms?" Dr. Banner asked. "What potential threat do they pose to this guy?"

"Niflheim, Svartalfheim, and Muspelheim would land somewhere in the middle size wise. Niflheim is the Realm of the dead. It poses no threat to Thanos, and will be of no help to us. Svartalfheim is probably suffering heavily after their failed escapade against Midgard and Asgard, but they are still a threat to us. If the Dark Elves are desperate enough they might join with Thanos. Fortunately, there is no chance that Odin entrusted them with an Infinity Gem. Muspelheim is home to the Fire Giants. They are what you Midgardian's might call demons. Needless to say Odin does not trust them and would never have given them a Gem to protect. Like Svartalfheim though, they might join with Thanos."

"With all this talk of armies, this is starting to sound more and more like a war instead of a recovery mission." Stark noted.

"I think it will be both." Sigyn admitted. "The two smallest Realms that Thanos will have to deal with are undoubtedly Midgard and Alfheim. The Light Elves are healers, not warriors. What army we do have is little and poorly trained in comparison to those of the larger Realms. The number of magic wielders will be troublesome for Thanos to deal with, but like the cleavernes of the Dwarfs, our magic will only serve to slow him down. Midgard is the furthest behind technologically wise, and is also the youngest of the Realms…"

"Watch it honey, last time I checked we were perfectly capable of handling alien armies. We did kick Loki's butt after all." Agent Barton reminded Sigyn.

"The Chutari?" Sigyn replied incredulously. "They are nothing in comparison to Thanos's Titian army, and if the Fire Giants and Dark Elves join him you can forge…"

"What of Jotunheim?" Loki interceded before Sigyn could begin ranting.

"Jotunheim?" Sigyn asked surprised.

Sigyn stood and began to pace the length of the room as she spoke. "Jotunheim is the one Realm I am not certain of. There are six Infinity Gems, yet only five Realms that I would consider safe to trust with them. This poses a problem because I cannot believe that Odin would trust a single Realm with two Gems, the power would be too great a temptation. If that is the case though, then Jotunheim is the only Realm left that could have been entrusted with one."

"That seems highly unlikely given Asgard's turbulent relationship with the Jotun's." Thor reasoned.

"I thought so too at first, but the more I have considered the possibility the more I favor it. The conflict between Asgard and Jotunheim arose between Odin and Laufey, and Laufey is dead. That means they are now under new leadership. Perhaps the new king and Odin were able to strike a deal. We have their Casket of Winters, but if Odin entrusted them with a Gem then they would possess something of ours."

"It would be a sign of trust." Steve remarked.

"Exactly, maybe it was the beginning of some peace treaty between the two Realms."

"Hmmm sealing a union between the two warring Realms… I thought that was the reason Odin stole me from the temple." Loki remarked.

"This is neither the time nor the place to bring that up Loki." Sigyn warned.

"What? I am simply jealous that my job was stolen by a rock." He defended.

Sigyn threw him a scolding glance, but before she could continue speaking a sudden dizziness took over her. She quickly grasped for the object nearest her as her vision began to blur. When she hit the floor there was a sudden flurry of movement around the room. She could hear people yelling at one another. She thought that she heard people accusing Loki of some sort of mischief and Thor defending him, but her mind was slipping from consciousness too quickly for her to be sure. The last thing she could remember was a familiar voice trying to get her attention.


	27. The obvious is that which is never seen

Author's Note: Yep, it is official I am a crazy person. I am updating twice in one night. Read, review, but most of all enjoy.

* * *

Sigyn awoke to the sound of people's voices. She opened her eyes slowly and found herself staring up into Loki's eyes.

"What happened?" She asked while sitting up.

"You passed out." Fury informed her.

The rest of the people in the room were at a respectable distance from Loki and her.

"How long was I out for."

"A couple of minutes." Loki informed her. "You were having another attack like the one you had this morning."

"You had an attack this morning and you didn't think to inform us?" Fury said in an annoyed voice.

"It was nothing serious." Sigyn argued.

"She had a terror attack." Loki informed the Director. "A fairly violent one."

"What caused it?" Agent Hill asked.

"I do not know…" Sigyn answered truthfully.

"That's normal." Dr. Banner assured. "Would you mind if I took a look at you?" He asked gently.

"Not at all." Sigyn replied.

Loki helped her stand, and she followed Dr. Banner to his lab. He began to use instruments that Sigyn had never seen before to check her pulse, blood pressure, and other vital signs.

"Have these attacks happened before?" He asked while setting about his work.

"Not that I know of. I mean I have had nightmares, but nothing like this."

"What about fainting spells?"

"I do not tend to have fainting spells, but when I have visions, like the ones that occurred between Loki and I, I tend to feel lightheaded and dizzy. That feeling actually occurred just before I passed out."

"And did you have a vision?"

"No, there was nothing except for your voices…"

Dr. Banner scribbled some notes on a sheet of paper and then went to get a strange needle from a drawer.

"I'm going to use this to get a blood sample. You will feel a slight prick and a little bit of pressure. If you start to feel lightheaded let me know and I'll stop." Banner explained before cleaning a spot on the inside of her elbow.

He seemed to study her arm carefully and muttered something about how this was going to be difficult if he couldn't find a suitable vein. Finally he seemed confidant that he found a vein that might work, and he went to insert the needle. Sigyn held her breath as she waited for the prick that Dr. Banner had described, but it never came. Instead, the needle he had been using bent in half as he tried to push it into her skin. Dr. Banner looked at the needle stunned.

"May I assume from your expression that that does not happen often?" Sigyn queried.

"Yes, that is a safe assumption." Banner conceded before taking her back to the conference room.

"So what's the verdict?" Fury asked when the two returned.

"Its tough to say. I am assuming her vitals are fine, but it is impossible to know for sure since I don't know what normal vitals are for an Asgardian. I wasn't able to get a blood sample though. Her skin must have more density than a human's since it bent the needle."

"Her skin bent the needle?" Barton asked in a slightly impressed tone.

Banner just shook his head "yes."

Fury was about to address Sigyn when a far off look in her eye caused him to pause. Loki caught her look too, and quickly nudged her with his elbow.

"Is there something you need to say?" He encouraged.

"It is just that something has been bothering me all morning, but I cannot seem to place it. Something is wrong, something that I have overlooked. Before I fainted I could have sworn someone was trying to speak to me."

"Loki and I attempted to waken you." Thor offered.

"No, it wasn't you it was…it was Sylvath's voice!" She finally recalled.

Her heart sank at the realization.

"I am a fool!" She began to panic. "The answer was right in front of me the entire time, and now I might be too late!"

"Too late for what?" Stark quickly asked.

"To save Alfheim."

Loki ran his hands through his hair. Of course that would be Thanos's next move.

"It is not entirely your fault." He soothed. "I should have seen it too."

"Seen what!?" Fury demanded.

"Thanos doesn't know where I am, but Alfheim would have probably been his first guess. He is hoping to take down two birds with one stone by destroying Alfheim." Sigyn hastily explained. "Sylvath is my father, and I believe he has been trying to contact me since this morning."

"What can we do?" Steve quickly asked.

"I will create another portal, I must go to him." Sigyn determined.

"Sigyn you cannot go. If Alfheim is under attack you should stay here under S.H.I.E.L.D's protection. Let me go in your stead." Thor pressed.

"Thor if Alfheim is under attack you cannot plan on pushing out Thanos's forces on your own." Sigyn pointed out.

"He won't have to." Fury interjected. "The Avengers are going with him."

"That still does not mean that I am staying here." Sigyn stated firmly.

Thor tried to hold onto Sigyn's shoulders, but she brushed him off.

"This is not an argument you will win Thor. I mourned our mother alone, I mourned you alone!" She added while turning on Loki. "I will not stand aside and risk my father dying alone!"

If Thor wished to protest further he refrained, any more bickering would only result in wasted time. It was quickly decided that all the Avengers, minus Dr. Banner, would accompany Thor, Loki, and Sigyn to Alfheim. They allowed those that needed to get ready ten minutes, at which point Sigyn was going to open the portal with or without them. It was the slowest ten minutes of Sigyn's life, but by the time they had trickled by everyone was ready to leave. Sigyn opened a portal, and the group was pulled through the branches of Yggdrasil to Alfheim.


	28. Trust

The light of the portal quickly faded, and a sight of destruction welcomed Sigyn. The portal had brought them to the outskirts of the city. Smoke rose from all around, and sounds of a continued battle reached her ears. The Light Elves were apparently holding out against Thanos's forces better than Sigyn would have thought they would, which she found to be a comforting sign.

"What's the plan?" Steve asked Sigyn.

Sigyn looked at the group and tried not to laugh. Their outfits all seemed strange to her, except for Thor's. Sigyn and Loki were the only ones not dressed for battle, so their Midgardian clothes seemed more out of place than she would have liked.

"I need to find Sylvath to ensure he is safe, but first I will lead the rest of you to Freyr's palace. There is a strong possibility that the Infinity Gem is hidden there."

Captain America nodded in acknowledgement of the plan and Sigyn took off towards the center of the city. Tony, aka Iron Man, would fly ahead at times on Sigyn's command to take out invading Titian soldiers. Those Light Elves involved in the battle gave Sigyn and her entourage strange looks, but would refrain from attacking them once they recognized Sigyn. As Sigyn and the others rounded a corner the familiar form of a female Dark Elf caught Sigyn's attention. Unfortunately, the woman caught Thor's attention too.

"Sigyn watch out!" He commanded as he went in for the kill.

"Thor no!" She cried out, but it was too late. Thor was already in the middle of his attack.

"Manavana look out!" Sigyn warned her friend just in time.

Manavana was able to roll out of the way of Thor's attack, while Sigyn ran to grab Thor's arm.

"What is a Dark Elf doing here!?" Thor demanded of Manavana.

"She is my wife." Celleth's calm voice replied.

Thor relaxed slightly at the appearance of another Light Elf. "Your wife?" He asked in confusion.

"Yes, my wife." Celleth confirmed, while giving Manavana a hand up.

As much as Sigyn would have loved to stay and chat with her two friends, this was neither the time nor the place.

"Where is Sylvath?" She quickly asked.

"At home with Armallia. He refused to take shelter with the women and children in case you should return, and Armallia refused to leave him by himself." Celleth promptly reported.

It took only a moment for Sigyn to formulate a course of action. "Celleth. Manavana. I need you two to take my companions to Freyr's palace so that I may go to Sylvath. I know our home is protected by magic, but I fear that it will not keep them safe for much longer."

"Of course Sigyn, but it will be quite a fight to get to the palace." Celleth warned.

At that moment Hawkeye shot an arrow right past Celleth's head and into an oncoming Titian warrior.

"No offence sir, but I think we'll be just fine." Barton assured.

Celleth smiled, and Sigyn got the feeling that he and Manavana might be enjoying this a bit too much.

"Very well, follow me." Celleth urged.

Before Sigyn could take off towards her home, Thor stopped her.

"Loki is going with you." He ordered.

Sigyn wished to protest, but the look in Thor's eyes and his tone of voice told her not to bother.

"Stay off of the main streets. Stealth will be your greatest ally if you wish to get through this skirmish and to Sylvath quickly." Thor advised before taking off with the other Avengers.

Loki and Sigyn glanced at each other before heading down an alleyway. Sigyn had cloaked them in invisibility, but there was less of a chance of accidentaly bumping into anyone in the ally. The pair got fairly far before they were forced back onto the main road by a dead end. They dodged the fighters as deftly as possible, but a sudden explosion on the road sent them both flying into a wall. Sigyn had collided into Loki so while she took most of the force of the explosion he took the brunt of the impact. It took a second for either of them to find their feet, and once they were both somewhat steady they began to run towards Sigyn's home once again. Sigyn could feel the bruises beginning to form, and she could feel blood trickling down her cheek from a newly opened cut. As they continued their trek the fighting increased so Sigyn used her magic to form a few throwing daggers, and tossed a couple over to Loki.

Loki deftly caught the daggers that Sigyn threw over to him, and immediately launched one into the brain of a Titan warrior. Occasionally Sigyn would do the same, but never once did she glance his way. Loki found it shocking that not only had Sigyn handed him a weapon, but that she trusted him enough not to turn it on her.

Trust.

When was the last time someone had trusted him? Thor hadn't when he had asked for Loki's help against the Dark Elves. The Avengers certainly didn't trust him, though Loki could hardly blame them. Loki threw another dagger then returned to his thoughts. Sigyn was difficult for him to understand. One second she was threatening to kill him, and the next she was handing him his weapon of choice. Before Loki could ponder this conundrum any further however, Sigyn began to slow down and head into a garden with Loki following close behind. They then turned into a building that Loki assumed was Sigyn's home on Alfheim. Neither Loki nor Thor had been allowed to set foot on Alfheim before so Loki had no idea what to expect of Sigyn's other home. It was undoubtedly smaller than the palace, but the small size seemed reasonable since only three people lived there.

It didn't take long to reach a door that Loki assumed led into Sylvath's chambers. Sigyn quickly opened the door, but before she could step into the room a tall middle-aged woman tried to break a vase over Sigyn's head. Loki was able to catch the woman's arm before any damage could be done, and the Light Elf opened her eyes. The sudden realization of who had walked in the door struck the woman, whom Loki assumed was the maid Armallia, and she began to laugh and cry at the same time while embracing Sigyn.

"You came! You actually came!" She greeted happily. "I was worried that Sylvath had been unable to reach out to you."

Both women looked over to the bed where Sylvath lay.

"How is he faring?" Sigyn asked in a whisper.

Armallia bit her lip nervously. "Not well My Lady. I am not sure how much longer he will last."

Loki had only ever seen Sylvath a couple of times throughout the centuries, but even he could tell that the aging Light Elf was in exceedingly poor health. He was a little surprised that Sigyn hadn't mentioned the fact that Sylvath was dying beforehand.

"It seems the magic protecting the house has stayed in tact." Sigyn observed.

"It has. A few of the Titans tried to breach it earlier, but they were unsuccessful. I assume more will come later if the fighting doesn't die down soon."

Sigyn voiced her agreement before walking softly over to Sylvath's bedside. Loki and Armallia continued standing to the side, but neither dared leave the room for fear of being spotted in the open air corridor.

"Father." She beckoned in a gentle tone.

Sylvath slowly opened his eyes, and it seemed to take some time for them to adjust to the light.

"Ástin mín." He replied warmly.

Sigyn smiled and placed her hand on his.

"I am sorry it took me so long to come to you father. I should have seen Thanos's plan from the beginning. I fear I have failed you, and all of Alfheim."

"Do not be so harsh on yourself Sigyn, no one can expect you to see through all of Thanos's plans immediately. You are here now, and that is what matters."

"I have brought help from Midgard to fend off Thanos's army, and to help me search for the Infinity Gem that I know Odin must have hid here."

"Yes, I can see that." Sylvath replied while throwing a glance in Loki's direction.

Loki kept calm under Sylvath's scrutiny, and was surprised to see that the ancient Light Elf's eyes held no condemnation. Sylvath returned his gaze to Sigyn, and they began to reminisce. Loki detected a sniffle and glanced at the maid standing beside him.

"I was afraid she wouldn't make it in time to say goodbye." Armallia whispered to Loki when she felt his gaze on her. "She has already been forced to miss too many goodbyes."

"Yes, with the death of Frigga." Loki noted.

"And you." The maid added.

"Me?" Loki replied almost inaudibly.

"When news of your death reached Alfheim Sigyn was devastated. She mourned your loss for six months. Even after she knew you were alive she still mourned you."

Loki couldn't help but be taken aback by Armallia's news. Thor and his adoptive parents had mourned him because they believed him to be dead, Asgard mourned him because they knew not what he had done, but Sigyn mourned him knowing the whole truth. She hadn't grieved because she thought Loki had died, she had grieved because she believed him lost to her. Lost and dead: two very different reasons for sorrow. One you could come back from the other was permanent.


	29. Time to say goodbye

Author's Note: Well I didn't plan on updating again this week, but today is the twelve year anniversary of 9/11 and I felt that this next section went well with the somber mood of the day. I know it is short, but I promise the next few updates will get longer. On another note, I am really excited about the chapters I have written lately! There are some fun moments headed your way in the near future.

* * *

Sigyn knew that she was going to loose Sylvath. There was no more putting off the inevitable. Even as she sat talking with him she could see the light leaving his eyes. It was almost as if he had held on just for her, just long enough to be with her one last time. His hands were growing colder, and his eyes were becoming more and more unfocused. Sigyn's growing sadness must have shown because Sylvath drew his hand out from under hers and placed it on her cheek. A warm sensation flooded her face, and she realized that Sylvath must have healed the cut she had sustained from the blast. She had been so worried about Sylvath that she hadn't bothered to heal it herself.

"That is better." He commented contentedly.

"You shouldn't waste your energy like that father." Sigyn scolded.

"My dearest Sigyn, my time has come whether or not I heal your cuts and bruises. It is up to you now to step up and take my place." Sylvath encouraged before holding his palm out to Sigyn.

Sigyn looked in his hand, and saw a blue oval gem resting there.

"Odin entrusted the Mind Gem to me after the Frost Giants invaded the royal vault. I now pass it on to you, the most powerful sorceress in the Nine Realms." Sylvath explained.

Sigyn took the Infinity Gem gingerly into her hand, the power that it emanated causing the markings on her hand and lower arm to glow. Sylvath then brought Sigyn down so he could place a kiss on her forehead.

"Of every spell I ever created or magical enchantment I have ever cast, none have given me more pride than you. You, my daughter, are my greatest accomplishment. My precious Sigyn."

Sigyn placed a kiss on Sylvath's head.

"I love you father." She whispered, "Now go to sleep."

Sylvath smiled and closed his eyes. Gradually his breathing began to weaken.

"Go to sleep, and when next you open your eyes you will have reached Valhalla." Sigyn murmured softly in valediction.

Sigyn remained by Sylvath's side for the last few precious moments of his life. Only when his heart had completely stilled did Sigyn look to Armallia and Loki. She wanted to say something, anything, but all the words she tried to utter were lost in her throat. Tears stung her eyes, but Sigyn refused to cry. It would not do to cry in front of Loki. Sigyn reverently crossed Sylvath's arms over his chest and pulled his blanket over his head. These simple tasks complete, she went to sit in the window seat. This particular window offered a view into the garden so Sigyn was unable to see how the battle outside progressed. Part of her considered going out to join the fight, but she knew that would be unwise since this was where Celleth and Manavana expected her to be. If she ran out into the battle and her friends arrived here to see Sylvath dead and Sigyn, Armallia, and Loki missing they might be inclined to believe the worst. As Sigyn sat gazing out of the window she felt someone come up behind her. Sigyn turned half-expecting to see Armallia there, but it was Loki. He silently took a seat on the opposite side of the window niche facing her. The two sat in silence for a couple of minutes before Loki spoke up.

"I am sorry Sigyn."

Whatever tears Sigyn had been holding back began to flow in a steady stream at Loki's condolences. Without fully considering her actions, she snuggled into Loki's chest and let his shirt soak up her tears. Eventually Loki's arms wrapped awkwardly around her much smaller frame. Loki let his chin rest on the top of her head, and he closed his eyes. It had been a long time since he had held someone so close, so he let the intimate moment linger in silence.


	30. Thanos's Ultimatum

Author's Note: Ok, I am going to post several chapters tonight. I just can't stand that I am so far ahead of you guys, and that you are just now getting to the real action. I also apologize that there were no scenes of the battle that took place on Alfheim. As a martial artist it is fun for me to write one-on-one fight scenes in detail because I see them well in my mind, but large battle scenes are much more tricky. I will try to write larger battles later on, but I do like letting you use you imagination as the reader as to what the battle was like. Hope you are enjoying things so far. I own nothing, and as always questions, comments, suggestions, and classy complaints are always welcome.

* * *

Neither Loki nor Sigyn knew how long they remained seated together, and it wasn't till the arrival of Celleth, Manavana, and the Avengers that Sigyn lifted her face from Loki's chest.

"Sylvath…" Celleth murmured when he entered the bedroom.

The tears that stained Sigyn's cheeks and Loki's shirt were enough to tell the story.

"So he has passed." Manavana sighed.

Sigyn only managed to nod her head.

"Sigyn I am so sorry." Thor apologized as he made his way over to her.

"There is nothing to be sorry for Thor. Sylvath's passing has been a long time coming." Sigyn assured before standing from her seat.

Loki followed suit and shot Thor a look that begged him not to press the subject of Sylvath's death any further. Thor gave Loki an almost imperceptible nod, and turned back to face his companions.

"Perhaps there is somewhere larger where we can discuss the events of today?" He asked.

Sigyn replied in the affirmative, and led the way out of Sylvath's bedroom. She took the group to Sylvath's library where everyone found a place to sit or stand.

"So what of the battle? Have the Titan's been driven out?" Sigyn asked hopefully.

"They have." Celleth confirmed. "Your friends were of great help in that regard."

"Yea we pretty much owned them." Stark butted in after taking off his metal mask. "Your little elf buddies are pretty handy though." He relented.

"What of Freyr?" Sigyn continued.

"He was safe enough." Manavana assured her.

"He knew nothing of the Gem though." Thor added in a frustrated tone.

Sigyn was about to tell her companions about her acquisition of the stone when a sudden dark presence manifested itself behind her. Sigyn didn't need to turn around to know who was the cause of this disturbance. Sigyn needed to show that she should be feared, and now might be the only opportunity she had to do so. As she turned to face the intruder her Midgardian clothing melted away into her black dress of mourning, and her hair was pulled into an intricate up do. The makeup around her eyes became suddenly darker causing the blue in them to pop, and her deep blood red lips were set into a firm sneer.

"Welcome to Alfheim Thanos, I trust you have found this latest loss to be utterly humiliating." She jibbed.

At the mention of Thanos's name Sigyn sensed Hawkeye readying to shoot an arrow, but she held up her left hand bidding him to refrain from firing.

"There is no need for that Agent Barton. This is merely an illusion. The real Thanos is far away from here." She assured.

"Very perceptive Sigyn Sylvathdóttir." Thanos replied. "I must admit that you have exceeded my expectations. I was not aware of the level of your skills as an enchantress."

"A fatal mistake indeed." Sigyn agreed. "So let us skip the pleasantries and get down to business. You seek the Infinity Gems, and I have no intention of allowing you to collect them. I would suggest that you back down now while you still have a chance. If you continue hunting for the Gems and destroying the smaller Realms you are going to unleash a war that you cannot possibly hope to win."

Thanos began to laugh coldly. "A war that I have no hope to win? How can you be so certain? I have no intention of relinquishing my quest because you say that I am sure to fail. I will recover the Gems, despite any interference on your part, and lay waste to any army that stands in my way."

If Thanos had intended to intimidate Sigyn, he failed utterly. To the surprise of everyone in the room she merely began to laugh and circle Thanos's duplicate.

"Empty threats." She finally replied when her laughter had died down. "You have just lost a battle to the smallest of the Nine Realms, how do you plan on even fazing the armies of Asgard? You also fail to recognize that I am currently in possession of three things you need and desire."

"Should I feel threatened by someone who cannot count? The Gauntlet and Loki may be in your possession for now, but neither of those things hinder me from my current plan of action."

"Insanity is defined by the Midgardians as doing the same thing more than once yet expecting a different result. You have underestimated me twice now and I would suggest you not do so again." Sigyn responded before opening her palm and allowing the Mind Gem to float in front of her.

Thanos's eyes widened in shock, and he began to grit his teeth. Sigyn was pleased that she was starting to get to him. Her Light Elf markings began to glow, and the temperature of the room began to rise.

"With the passing of my father I am left as the most powerful magician in the Nine Realms, and therefore the appointed keeper of the Mind Gem."

Thanos's anger burned clearly in his eyes, but Sigyn simply smirked back at him.

"It burns you to be so close doesn't it? Your entire goal in coming to Alfheim is floating right in front of you, yet you cannot reach it." Sigyn taunted.

A heavy silence hung over the room as Thanos's rage shone clearly on his face.

"Before this war is over I will take everything from you." He threatened. "This is my ultimatum to you Princess."

A gold knife formed in his hand and he threw it into the side of a bookshelf. Hawkeye let an arrow loose at Thanos, but it went straight through him causing Thanos to smirk.

Sigyn came to stand behind Thanos.

"Fool, you cannot hand me an ultimatum. Know this… I am Death, and I am coming for you." She replied in a deadly calm voice before using her magic to strike through Thanos's illusion and to his actual person.

The sheer force of the magical blast caused Thanos's image to dissipate while across the Realms, the real Thanos was sent reeling backwards. A sadistic grin lit up his face. Perhaps he had found someone who could offer him a slight challenge after all.


	31. Cultural expectations

Sigyn approached the knife that was lodged into the wood of the bookshelf. She had recognized it immediately upon Thanos conjuring it. After pulling it out of the wood she turned to face the others.

"How did a fake Thanos throw a real dagger?" Barton asked.

"A simple spell." Was the only answer that Sigyn gave.

She was suddenly feeling slightly lightheaded and took a seat while continuing to study the dagger, _her_ dagger. It was the one she always kept on her person, and she realized that Loki must have dropped it in the vault after she stopped him from killing the Other.

"So what is the significance of that knife?" Steve asked. "How is that his ultimatum to you?"

Sigyn sent a hesitant look towards Thor and Loki. She wasn't entirely sure that their Midgardian companions would understand the knife's purpose.

"It is what was once known to Midgardians as a misericorde, or mercy knife." Sigyn began. "For centuries I have kept it either on my person, or close by."

"Why do I get the feeling that its not just for self-defense?" Agent Barton pried.

Sigyn hesitated. "Because it is not." She finally admitted. "The knife was given to me in case the unthinkable should happen."

"Like?" Stark probed.

"Like… the fall of Asgard." She offered.

"It's a suicide knife." Agent Romanov realized aloud.

"Mercy knife sounds better." Sigyn mused quietly.

"So let me get this straight." Stark interposed. "If things get out of hand you are supposed to kill yourself with that thing?"

"If I have found myself in a situation where there is no hope of victory or rescue, and neither Odin, Thor, or Loki are present, then yes that is its purpose." She confirmed.

"I get the whole death is better than capture thing," Barton admitted, "but I don't understand what Odin, Thor, and Loki have to do with it."

Thor decided that he would save Sigyn the trouble of having to answer. "It has always been presumed that if there ever came a time when Sigyn would be forced to use the knife Odin, Loki, and myself would probably have already fallen in battle. There would be a slight chance however, that one of us might still be alive. In this scenario it would be up to that survivor to kill Sigyn, or any other Maiden for that matter, before she could fall into the hands of the enemy."

"It is a cultural expectation." Loki explained. "It would be considered the duty of any man in Asgard to spare a woman the agony of capture and enslavement. The task falls to family members first, but if none were left alive any male could perform it. The misericorde is the least favorable option because it has a higher chance of failure, and is therefore a Lady's last resort."

"So what if everything is going to hell and you were both left with Sigyn, which one of you has to kill her?" Barton asked.

"As the eldest brother the burden would fall to me." Thor acknowledged.

"None of that matters right now though." Sigyn finally cut in. "Thanos means this to be a sign."

"A sign of what?" Manavana questioned.

"Of his intentions for Sigyn. By the time he is through with her, she will be begging for death." Loki enlightened them.

"So what was with ticking off one of the most powerful beings in the Universe?" Stark inquired.

"I need him to believe that I am enough of a threat so that he will desire to come after me. As long as I can keep his attention on stopping me, he won't see your movements." Sigyn explained.

"Our movements?" Agent Romanov questioned.

"My work is going to be preventative, it will be up to all of you to fight the battle." She replied.

None but Loki noticed the new blue gem at the center of Sigyn's ring.


	32. If ye break faith with us who die

Armallia, Celleth, and Manavana requested that Sigyn and her companions stay long enough to eat before returning to Midgard. Agent Romanav and Steve insisted that they must head back, but Barton, Thor, and Stark overruled them. Armallia headed to the kitchen to begin preparing food, but before Sigyn and the others could reach the dining room a small voice began calling out to Sigyn.

"My Lady! My Lady! Please help!"

Sigyn quickly ran towards the direction of the voice and found a young girl trying to support the weight of an older boy. Sigyn rushed to the little Light Elf's side and grabbed the boy.

"What happened?" Sigyn asked.

"He was hurt during the attack My Lady." The child replied with tears in her eyes. "They say you are a healer, can you heal him?"

"I need to take a better look at him." Sigyn admitted. "Where are your parents?"

"I do not know My Lady. They are missing… so many people are missing…"

Steve, who had taken his mask off long before this point, went on one knee in front of the child so he could look her directly in the eyes.

"Can you take us to where you saw them last?" He gently asked.

The girl grew shy, and modestly nodded her head before setting off down the hall.

"There could be a lot of trapped people guys, we should go help. Sigyn you should stay here so we can bring the wounded to you."

No one argued with the Captain's politely phrased commands. The Avengers, Celleth, Manavana, and Loki went to catch up to the young Light Elf. Sigyn swiftly went to her chambers and laid the boy down on her bed before running off to get Armallia. The two quickly returned to her room with water and herbs. Armallia then started to make pallets on the floor for any more wounded that might be brought in. Sigyn set to work on the young Light Elf boy, and had just finished patching him up when Thor, Steve, Barton, Celleth, and Loki returned with more wounded. Sigyn instructed them to lay them on the pallets that had been made, and then told them to help Armallia make some more.

"Where are Manavana, Tony, and Agent Romanov?" She asked while beginning to tear off the shirt of one of the victims.

"They are helping locate those that are missing in the rubble." Thor informed her.

Sigyn didn't look up as she continued cleaning her patient's wounds and healing the smaller ones immediately. The men left her to her work, but it was not long before they returned with more wounded. Sigyn was not fond of the current ratio, eleven people in need of help to only one healer. Before the men left Sigyn asked them to first remove clothing from the affected areas, and pulled Thor aside.

"Are there no other healers?" She quietly asked.

"There are some, but most were involved in the fighting so they are either too weak to do much or are injured themselves."

Sigyn, forgetting the blood on her hands, ran her fingers through her hair messing up her lovely up do.

"I cannot do this all by myself Thor, I need help." She confessed.

"What would you have me do?" Thor enquired.

"I need Loki's help…" She requested.

"Loki is an illusionist, not a healer. Besides, his magic has been bound by the AllFather." Thor pointed out.

"I know healing is not his specialty, but he is proficient enough that he can take care of the smaller injures so that I may focus on the more serious ones." Sigyn reasoned.

Thor seemed to consider her words carefully.

"What about the AllFather's binding magic?" Thor asked.

"Do you truly believe me incapable of breaking the seals?" Sigyn replied in an offended tone.

Thor looked over to where Loki was assiting Celleth, Barton, and Steve with undressing the wounded for Sigyn.

"Do you think he can be trusted with his magic?" He finally asked.

Sigyn followed Thor's gaze. "We will not know for sure till we allow him to have it, but yes, I believe that he can be trusted."

Sigyn was afraid that Thor would flat out forbid her from releasing Loki from Odin's spell; instead, he avoided condoning or condemning her idea.

"Do what you must." He intoned before heading back out into the city.

It was as good as a "yes" to Sigyn so as Thor and the others left she caught Loki's arm.

"Give me your hands." She bade him.

"Why?" He asked somewhat skeptically.

"I need your help." She replied before grabbing his wrists and closing her eyes.

Loki was about to demand answers, when Sigyn's markings started to glow. Warmth began to spread from Sigyn's hands. Her hands were not big enough to wrap around his wrists so Loki could clearly see the runes on them disappear. He immediately realized that Sigyn was lifting Odin's spell on him, which meant that he was going to have acess to his magic again. Once her spell was complete Sigyn released Loki's wrists and went over to inspect the patients. Loki followed her and watched as she began to develop a plan of action. Decisive as ever, it only took Sigyn an instant before she had given Loki his instructions as to which patients he would heal. Aside from the unconscious moans of pain from the wounded, the room was silent. Both Loki and Sigyn were so absorbed in their work that they hardly noticed the comings and goings of their companions. The two worked separately for the most part, but some of the more serious cases required both of their attentions.

Eventually a couple of other healers made their way to Sigyn's home and relieved Loki and her from their tasks. The search for survivors had ended long before, but Thor and the others had left the pair to work in relative peace, only checking in on their progress occasionally. The wounded were spread throughout every room in the house, save Sylvath's, so when Loki and Sigyn finally did take a break Armallia served them a late dinner in the garden.

Celleth, Manavana, and the Avengers sat out with them if for no other purpose than to be out of the way of the newly arrived healers. The little girl from earlier was also with them, and she quickly took a seat next to Sigyn on the edge of the fountain. Armallia brought a large bowel of water for Loki and Sigyn to wash their hands and faces with. It wasn't till she began to wipe the dried blood off with a hand towel that Sigyn realized the ruined state of her dress. She glanced at Loki and noted that his shirt was ruined with bloodstains as well, but he had had the foresight to take his jacket and scarf off so they could be spared the same fate. The two began to eat quickly so they could go to help with the last few victims that had been brought in.

"Are you really a Princess?" The little girl suddenly asked.

Sigyn paused and smiled. "Yes."

"Then why do people say you are a healer?" She pressed.

"Because I am a healer also." Sigyn explained.

"How can you be both?"

Sigyn quirked an eyebrow. "I was born a Princess, but just because I am a Princess does not mean that I must sit around in a castle all day waiting for a brave warrior to win my hand." Sigyn admonished.

The little girl smiled, obviously happy with Sigyn's answer.

"Are you a warrior too?"

"I am no warrior, but I certainly know how to fight." Sigyn replied before popping a grape into her mouth.

"Why do you not use magic on everyone." The inquisitive little Light Elf questioned.

"What do you mean?"

"I watched you work, and some people you just use magic on, and others you have to use herbs and bandages."

"Magic can only heal certain ailments." Sigyn explained. "Small cuts and bruises, broken bones, and common infections are the extent of magical healing. Special herbs and potions must be used for more serious injuries or illnesses."

The little Light Elf took a grape and popped it in her mouth just as Sigyn had. The girl's mimicking did not go unnoticed by Sigyn or the others.

Sigyn set her plate down to the side before addressing the girl. "What is your name?"

"Fidriel, My Lady."

"It was very brave of you Fidriel to bring your brother here." Sigyn commended.

Sigyn's praise caused Fidriel to shine with pride. "I was only doing what anyone would have done for their family." She replied triumphantly.

Sigyn smiled at how true Fidriel's statement was. She and Loki hurridly ate the rest of their food and went back into the house to continue their work. Sigyn had long since lost count of the number of hours she and Loki had been working by the time that they had finished attending to all of the wounded. Those that were able to leave were escorted home by healers, family members, and in some cases the Avengers. It was arranged that those with the most serious injuries would stay with Armallia, Manavana, and Celleth in Siygn's home till they made full recoveries.

After washing the blood and other bodily fluids off of her hands and face Sigyn went to wave Fidriel and her brother off as they made the trek back home with the help of their mother. Once the two were out of sight Sigyn practically collapsed on the steps from fatigue. Her body was physically and emotionally drained. She and Loki had seen every type of victim imaginable. They had been able to save many of them, but they had lost lives as well. As she sat on the steps she let her mind wander back to Sylvath. She needed to make preperations for his burial so she reluctantly went in search of Celleth, Manavana, and Armallia. It broke her heart that she wouldn't be able to be there for the burial, but under the circumstances she believed that she was doing exactly what Sylvath would have wanted her to do. After settling the arrangements with her friends, Sigyn visited Sylvath's body one last time. It seemed odd to her that this was likely the last time she would enter Sylvath's room. If she were to survive this oncoming war she would return to Alfheim to see her friends and to pay respects to Sylvath, but she doubted she would have the heart to go into Sylvath's chambers ever again.

The evening was growing late when Sigyn emerged from her father's bedroom. The stars had risen in the evening sky, and they sparkled like a million silver fireworks. They certainly appeared much happier than she currently felt. She strolled down the open-air corrider to the garden where she found Thor, Loki, and the Avengers waiting for her.

"It is time we return to Midgard." Thor informed Sigyn.

"I know." She replied in a weary tone.

"Are you well enough to create the portal?" Loki asked in a poignantly concerned voice.

"I believe so."

"Sigyn you must wait a moment!" Manavana entreated as she, Celleth, and Armallia came into the garden.

"The bell is about to toll." The Dark Elf informed her.

Sigyn pondered Manavana's words. Part of her wasn't sure that she wanted to know the damage that had been done, but the rest of her was telling her to stay.

"Can we postpone our return for a few more minutes?" Sigyn ultimately asked her companions.

No one objected, and Sigyn took Manavana's hand for comfort. The bell began to toll once every four seconds and rang out clearly for ten minutes. Each mournful sound of the bell caused Sigyn's heart to sink.

"One-hundred and fifty." She groaned.

"It is less than I would have thought." Thor admitted.

"That can't be right." Agent Romanov mused. "That can't be all that are dead."

"It is not." Sigyn elucidated. "That is only the number of warriors that have fallen. The bell will not toll for the men who were not warriors by trade, women, children, or elderly that perished."

Sigyn didn't know the exact count of the dead, but, given the devastation that surrounded her and the number of wounded that she had seen she knew that the number was probably at least five times that amount. A renewed determination began to pulse through Sigyn. She had to stop Thanos at all costs, and she could only hope that Thor and the others would support the course of action she had decided upon. After giving Celleth, Manavana, and Armallia one final hug Sigyn opened a portal back to Midgard just as the lamentations of the Light Elves began to echo through the cold night air.


	33. Charm me asleep

Author's Note: I hope everyone is surviving ok! As it were, I feel like I must be writing the perfect story since no one has complained or pointed out any glaring mistakes... ha ha ha I can't even take _myself_ serious when I say that. I am well aware that this is far from a perfect story, but I hope you have all enjoyed it so far. Believe me it will be over before you know it. Anyway, just a friendly reminder that I own nothing save my own personal interpretation of Sigyn.

* * *

It was Agent Barton who noticed Sigyn's unstability as the portal from Alfheim faded. He quickly slipped an arm around her waist to keep her somewhat steady. Luckily Sigyn had managed to land the group inside S.H.I.E.L.D's main lobby despite her apparent exhaustion. Fury was on the scene in minutes, and began scolding the group for taking so long without at least sending someone back to inform him of their progress. Barton continued to help Sigyn support her weight and didn't pay any attention to Fury's scolding. Stark seemed to be handling the situation well enough on his own. As he thought back on the day's events, Hawkeye couldn't help but be impressed by Sigyn's levelheadedness under pressure and Loki's surprisingly good-behavior. He might still hate that Loki and the Tesseract had controlled him, but a small voice inside his head told him that Loki was not entirely to blame. Fury finally finished ranting, and the group was dismissed. Agent Barton released Sigyn to Thor's care, and was amused when she began to protest as Thor picked her up bridal style to carry her to the waiting helicopter. Though reluctant at first, Barton couldn't help but end up liking the girl. She had spunk.

…

Despite Sigyn's protestations Thor had carried her to the helicopter, and as her head rested gently against his shoulder he knew he had made the right call. Sigyn was beyond exhausted. The strain placed on her body from the constant use of magic was literally killing her. Thor needed to see to it that she rested well to ensure that her magic recovered quickly. He also hoped that being in possession of the Mind Gem would help her recouperate. When the helicopter landed Thor was reluctant to wake Sigyn. Normally he would have just carried her to her bed, but her clothes were ruined and she still had dried blood in her hair. There was no getting around the fact that Sigyn needed to bathe before she went to bed, so Thor woke her as gently as possible. Luckily she was easily roused, and she went to wash off without any fuss.

Pepper welcomed Tony back with a kiss and demanded that he tell her everything that had happened. Loki excused himself to wash off in Stark's bathroom, which no one objected to since he was also sprinkled with dry blood. Pepper didn't mention the blood at first, but after it was obvious that neither Stark nor Thor was going to bring it up, she finally broached the topic.

"So what happened?" Pepper asked worriedly. "Why do Sigyn and Loki have bloodstains on their clothing?"

Stark went to pour himself a drink. "We got involved in a little intergalactic battle." He explained.

"Intergalactic battle? I feel like this should surprise me." Pepper mused.

"Thanos attacked Alfheim, which is where Sigyn's father lived." Thor enlightened her.

"So you went to an entirely different realm." Pepper stated before getting up to make some coffee.

"Yes. Sigyn and Loki went to her father, Sylvath, while the rest of us fought off Thanos's army."

"Did she not make it to him in time?" Pepper asked.

"She did. Sylvath was ancient even by Asgardian standards. His death was not caused by the battle." Thor reassured.

"That still doesn't explain the blood on her and Loki." Pepper pointed out.

"Once the fighting was over we stayed to search for the wounded and trapped survivors. Sigyn is an excellent healer so those in need of attention were brought to her. The number of those in need were too many for Sigyn to attend to on her own, so she required Loki's help."

"Which reminds me to ask you…" Stark interrupeted, "does Sigyn plan on leaving Loki's magic unbound?"

"As long as he stays out of mischief I see no reason why she should bind it again. We may find need of it later." Thor reasoned.

"Wait," Pepper jumped in "do you mean that Loki is walking around without any restrictions to his magic?"

"Yes." Loki's voice replied from the hallway he had just emerged from. "Now would be a brilliant time to panic seeing as I am obviously Hel-bent on destroying you all."

Stark rolled his eyes at the remark, and Thor was relieved that Pepper was able to see through Loki's dark-humor. She had to be fairly used to comments like that coming from Tony. With his magic back Loki had been able to conjur his own clothing which at the moment consisted of trousers and a plain shirt to sleep in. Thor also noted that Loki had used his magic to trim his hair short once again. Tony wasted no time in claiming his shower leaving Pepper with Thor and Loki.

The aroma of coffee began to fill the living room and Pepper went to pour herself a cup.

"Would either of you like to try some?" She offered.

Thor recalled the drink from when he had been banished to Earth, and quickly accepted her offer. Loki didn't reply, but she poured him some anyway. The night was cold and Thor was grateful for the warm drink. It wasn't long before Sigyn came out of her room in her pajamas with her wet hair in a tight braid.

"What is that beautiful smell?" She asked before sitting on the couch next to Thor.

"Coffee." He answered. "Would you like to try it?" He asked while offering her the mug in his hands.

Sigyn pulled her feet up underneath her and took the mug from Thor. Before taking a sip she inspected the liquid carefully. Apparently she decided that it looked harmless enough because she placed the mug to her lips to taste it. The second the coffee hit her tongue her eyes widened and she pulled the mug away. Thor couldn't help but laugh as she placed her hand over her mouth to try and keep from spitting the coffee out.

"Not to your liking sister?" He teased.

Sigyn forced it down and shook her head. "That is atrocious." She replied while handing the mug back to Thor who downed the remaining liquid before heading to Sigyn's room to take a shower.

Despite Loki's good behavior so far, Thor didn't want to leave Sigyn and Pepper alone with him too long so he took as fast a shower as possible. He threw on the clothes he would sleep in and headed back to the living room so that Sigyn could go to bed. When he arrived however, Pepper was nowhere to be seen. Loki must have sensed that he would be blamed for her disappearance so he quickly spoke up.

"No, I have not done anything to Stark's woman. She left to join him in their bedroom."

"No need to be defensive brother…"

"You should really stop calling me that." Loki interrupted.

Thor was in no mood to argue with Loki so he gave a defeated sigh. "It is merely an old habit." He excused.

Sigyn had watched the exchange silently before pattering off to her room. Loki stretched himself out on the couch and Thor made his customary cot on the floor. The two lay in silence, but it was obvious neither of them were going to fall asleep anytime soon.

"Thank you for your help today Loki. Sigyn could not have saved all those lives without it." Thor acknowledged.

Silence.

"I would have hated to waste the opportunity to use my powers." Loki finally replied.

Thor recognized Loki's comment as the veiled "you're welcome" that it was.

Silence fell over the two again, but light footsteps caused Thor to sit up. Sigyn was standing in the hallway with a pillow and two blankets in her hands.

"Is something wrong Sigyn?" Thor asked in concern.

"I know this will sound childish…" Sigyn prefaced, "but may I sleep in here with you two? I am not sure that I wish to be alone this evening…"

Thor waved Sigyn over, and a look of relief filled her face. He scooted over to create more space between him and the couch, and Sigyn set one of her blankets down there. After placing her pillow on the floor, Sigyn lay down next to Thor and pulled her second blanket over her. Thor watched as she drifted off to sleep and noticed that Loki was doing the same. Neither of them spoke for fear of waking her, and not long after Thor drifted off as well. Loki took this opportunity to run his fingers through Sigyn's now loosend hair, which he knew was an action that calmed her. The still damp strands were soft and cool to the touch, and the repetitive motion caused his mind to wander.

Loki wasn't sure how much magic was required for Sigyn to create the portals in between Realms, but that on top of all the healing she had performed caused Loki to fear that Sigyn might have overused her magic. If that was the case, she needed to by physically energized to regain the lost magic back. Thankfully, Thor had realized the potential danger as well, and had tried to keep her from exerting herself unnecessarily once they had returned from Alfheim. Sigyn had managed to grab Thanos's attention, so it was imperative that she make a quick recovery before he could strike again. Loki figured they had a few days. Thanos would need to give his army a chance to recover from their loss on Alfheim, and he would want time to rethink his strategy. Hopefully a day would be long enough for Sigyn to recover so they could get a head start on Thanos.

Thor roused slightly as Sigyn let out a contented sigh in her sleep. His eyes opened partially, and he was surprised to see Loki stroking Sigyn's hair with his hand. His green eyes were so focused on Sigyn's sleeping features that he hadn't realized that Thor had awoken. Thor studied Loki's face before closing his eyes once more. Not too long ago he would have taken the opportunity to tease Loki for an act like that, but things had changed since then. The genuine concern for Sigyn that was held in Loki's eyes was enough for Thor to leave well enough alone. As much as his adopted brother might try to deny it, he still cared for the sleeping girl that was lying on the floor next to him.


	34. Sonia and Rodion

Sigyn woke up to the strange feeling of a hand tangled in her hair. Apparently Loki's arm had come off the couch sometime during the night causing his hand to become entwined with her hair. Not wishing to wake Loki, Sigyn took extreme care in freeing his hand from its entrapment. It took her a little longer than she would have liked, but she did manage to do it without disturbing him. Not able to sit idly still, Sigyn snuck off to her bathroom to take care of her hygiene. On her return to the living room she found Loki awake. She couldn't be sure, but she thought he looked slightly relieved when he saw her.

"Good morning Loki." She greeted in a hushed voice so as not to wake Thor.

"How do you feel?" He replied without any greeting.

"I still feel a bit tired." She admitted.

Loki rose from the couch before responding. "I thought you might."

He then headed towards Sigyn's bedroom without another word. Though she found the exchange to be odd, Sigyn decided to dismiss it. Instead, she grabbed the book she had been reading and sat down in one of the chairs to finish it.

"Looks like we still have a 'Sleeping Beauty.'" Stark commented on entering the living room.

"He doesn't seem to be showing any signs of waking anytime soon." Sigyn replied without looking up from her book.

"Well he needs to get up, we have to be at S.H.I.E.L.D in an hour." Stark informed her before getting a pot of coffee started.

Sigyn returned to her book. Thor would wake up when he was good and ready.

"How's the book?" Stark queried.

"It is very good. Pepper has nice taste. I am going to need a new one fairly soon though."

"Well I'm sure there are plenty to choose from in the tower."

"Don't you ever read Mr. Stark?"

"Not unless Pepper makes me, and can't you stop calling me 'Mr. Stark'? You're making me feel like my father." He remarked while pouring himself some coffee.

Tony didn't wait for an answer before walking over to Thor and nudging him with his foot.

"Hey, its time to get up big guy."

Thor moaned and put his arm over his face.

"I am up." He complained.

"Really, because I've never met anyone who snores when they are awake." Stark pointed out before heading back to his room.

Thor sat up and Sigyn sent him a smile.

"Good morning sleepy head."

"Good morning Sigyn. Where is Loki?"

"I assume he went to borrow my restroom to get ready, but he should be getting done soon."

"Well I'm going to go kick him out." Thor decided.

Sigyn was left once again in peace to read. As she finished the last page she couldn't help but think that Pepper had chosen this particular work on purpose. She gently closed the tome, and for the first time realized that Loki was sitting on the chair opposite her.

"Did you enjoy your book?" He asked absentmindedly.

"Yes, I did. Perhaps you should read it." She suggested while throwing the book over to him.

Loki gave her an amused smile before looking down at the title.

"_Crime and Punishment_…" He murmured to himself. "No thanks." he replied before setting it on the coffee table. "I've already lived it."

_"If only you knew."_ Sigyn thought to herself.

Sigyn grabbed the book off the table and went to return it to the shelf Pepper had retrevied it from. Once it was settled on the shelf, Sigyn began to look through the other volumes.

"You have read Midgardian literature have you not Loki?"

Loki sighed. "Yes, it is one of the few redeeming aspects of Midgardian culture." He admitted.

"Which of these would you recommend?"

Loki approached the shelves and stood next to Sigyn. He was about eight inches taller than her so he was better able to see the volumes on the higher shelves. Sigyn watched as his emerald eyes scanned the bindings. Finally his eyes landed on one that seemed to catch his interest. He reached up and pulled the rather thick volume from the shelf.

"Here is one that should interest you." He stated before placing the book in her hands.

"Which one did you choose for her?" Pepper's voice asked curiously.

Neither Loki nor Sigyn had seen her enter, but they were both able to stay composed at her sudden arrival.

"_Jane Eyre_." Loki answered simply.

"Good choice. Sigyn will like Jane's strong personality." Pepper affirmed. "Have either of you eaten? I was just about to make some toast."

Sigyn replied that they had not, and both she and Loki followed Pepper to the kitchen. The three found themselves sitting in front of plates of warm toast in no time. Sigyn passed the time by asking Pepper questions about her life and Midgard. While her curious personality dominated the conversation, Pepper couldn't help but notice Loki's reactions out of the corner of her eye. He rarely took his eyes off Sigyn. She wouldn't call his expression pleased or even happy, but he seemed content enough to listen to Sigyn's questions. Pepper also noted that he was becoming slightly less cynical about Earth, and humans in general. Pepper dismissed herself after finishing breakfast to do some work. She wasn't sure if Loki realized that he was gravitating to Sigyn like a lost puppy, but she was sure that Sigyn was just the person he needed. She would be the Sonia to his Rodion.


	35. Sigyn and the swivel chair

Sigyn decided that whichever Midgardian had come up with the idea of a swivel chair should be awarded a medal. She couldn't help but spin round and around as she waited for Fury to arrive so they could start the meeting. When she had decided to ask for S.H.I.E.L.D's help she didn't think that her time would be filled with such pointless and boring gatherings. She already had a plan in mind so why did they have to sit around discussing things that she had already covered or were irrelevant? Spinning in her chair was Sigyn's silent form of protest, and it didn't go unnoticed by the others in the room. She could tell they were impatient too, and they each displayed it in their own way. Sigyn noted each of these little habits as the world spun around her. Dr. Banner played with his glasses, Steve tapped the pointer finger of his right hand to the beat of some unheard song, Stark would lean back in his chair before rolling his eyes upward and yawning, Agent Romanov kept tucking the same strand of hair behind her ear, Agent Barton cracked his knuckles, Agent Hill chewed on her lip, Thor hummed off-key, and Loki would occasionally rub his temples as if to relieve a headache. Sigyn had no clue why Director Fury was taking so long to get to the conference room, but after waiting for thirty minutes she did know that she was having second thoughts about spinning for so long. When Fury finally showed up Sigyn stopped spinning her chair, but it took a minute or two for her world to stop whirling.

"Sorry I'm late, I was in the middle of an unpleasant phone call." Fury apologized.

"The Council?" Agent Hill replied knowingly.

"The Council." Fury confirmed. "Apparently they have found out about our Asgardian guests."

"How?" Steve asked.

"I don't know. My best guess is that they have eyes on Stark tower or these headquarters."

"What did they say?" Agent Hill asked.

"They wanted me to confirm the whereabouts of Thor, Loki, and Sigyn."

"And what did you tell them?" Sigyn asked nervously. She didn't know much about this 'Council' except that they had been willing to destroy the city of New York and its citizens to get rid of Loki.

"That they were insane if they thought I would let Loki, a war criminal, take a family vacation on Earth." Fury replied.

"That won't be a very convincing lie if the Council has eyes on our base." Agent Barton pointed out.

"What do they know about Sigyn?" Stark abruptly asked.

"Not much. They don't have a name or her relationship to Loki and Thor. All they know for sure is that she is an Asgardian." Fury admitted.

"And even then they are only partially correct." Loki pointed out.

"Why is the council even concerned by our presence?" Thor asked.

"Given the last two times you and Loki have been involved here I can understand their interest." Fury admitted. "What bothers me is that once they confirm that Loki is here they are going to want to take him into custody. They weren't very pleased that I allowed you to take him back to Asgard in the first place."

"You're concerned about my well being? I'm touched." Loki mocked.

"Hardly. What concerns me is that you are an Asgardian prisoner, and with Thanos prepping to take on the Nine Realms the last thing Earth needs is a fight with Asgard." Fury reasoned.

"Loki's fate is on my head." Sigyn assured. "I was the one who took him from Asgard so the AllFather will have no one to blame but me if something happens."

"We can discuss who is to blame later." Fury replied. "Right now we need to focus on getting you off the Council's radar."

"I already know how." Sigyn cut in before anyone else could. "Well, I know how to get me off of their radar at least."

"How?" Fury probed.

"I have four more Infinity Gems I need to locate. The sooner I start my search the better."

Before Sigyn could continue explaining however, Loki, Thor, and Tony started tripping over themselves to be heard first.

"You cannot go off on your own!"

"You are in no shape to be going anywhere right now."

"You were actually serious about that plan?"

The three men looked at each other, but Fury held his hand up to keep any of them from speaking again.

"One at a time gentlemen. First off, I think Sigyn's plan has merit. If Thanos is able to collect the Infinity Gems, then we are in serious trouble. Seeing as she is the only one of us qualified to protect them she has to be the one to go in search of them. I do agree with Thor though, I am not comfortable with the idea of sending you alone…"

"You will not have to." Loki replied. "I am going with her."

Everyone in the room turned to face him in surprise, and Fury's one eye studied him skeptically.

_"Loki, I am not sure that is a good idea. The Chutari are after you, and if they catch you…" _Sigyn began telepathically, but Loki interrupted her_._

_"I am very well aware of what will happen if they catch me, but you need my knowledge of the Realms. You have never been to any of them. I have."_

Doubt still flickered in Sigyn's eyes.

_"You cannot hope to do this alone Sigyn."_

Deep down she knew he was right, but it didn't stop her from worrying.

"Ok, for the moment let's assume that we allow Loki to go with Sigyn. Why is she in no condition to be going anywhere right now?" Fury demanded.

"Sigyn used too much of her magic yesterday. If she begins Realm jumping today you might as well begin digging her grave." Loki warned.

"I have to agree with Loki." Dr. Banner concurred. "You can see the exhaustion in her eyes. If she pushes herself too hard too soon she will be a sitting duck for Thanos."

Sigyn considered disagreeing, but the drain from the day before was too obvious to deny.

Fury paused to consider this newest information before addressing Loki.

"How long before Thanos makes his next move."

Loki shrugged. "It is impossible to say."

"Give me your best guess."

"I would say five days before his next aggressive move. He did not send his entire force into Alfheim yesterday, but a defeat is a defeat. He will take today to regroup and rethink his strategy. It is likely that he will take the next three to four days in Svartalfheim and Muspelheim to recruit the Dark Elves and Fire Giants. He might also venture into Jotunheim to enlist the Frost Giants, but it is impossible to say."

"Five days…" Fury mused.

"That's not a lot of time." Natasha pointed out.

"No, but it will be enough to give Sigyn and Loki a three days head start."

"Three days? Shouldn't it be four?" Sigyn protested.

"Three. Today we send you and Loki to a friend of ours to rest, and tomorrow we test your skills before you head out." Fury explained.

"Test my skills? What good will that do?" Sigyn asked.

"None, I'm just curious."

Sigyn couldn't help but feel that "testing her skills" was a waste of time, but she needed to choose her battles wisely so she let this one slide.

"So who exactly is this friend of yours?" Loki asked with a hint of suspicion.

"You'll see when you get there." Was all Fury would say on the matter.

"What of Thor?" Sigyn asked, suddenly realizing that Fury had only mentioned Loki going with her to this friend of his.

"Thor will stay here and help us devise a plan that will allow us to help you from a distance, as well as acquaint us with the ways of the other Realms. He and the rest of the Avengers will join you tomorrow." Fury stated.

Neither Sigyn nor Loki could ague with his reasoning, and allowed Director Fury to lead them to an awaiting vehicle. The Agents in the car never acknowledged Loki or Sigyn as they drove to an undisclosed location. Sigyn was glad that she had brought her new book with her, and began to read it enthusiastically. The SUV pulled to a stop, and Loki and Sigyn were let out. They were then escorted onto a small plane that was waiting for them. Sigyn attempted to ask where they were headed, but was told that she was not allowed to know that information yet. She had half a mind to just search the Agent's mind for the answer, but decided that it would be a bit too rude to do so.

Sigyn read for the entire four-hour flight. The book Loki had picked was very much to her tastes. Most would peg her for the kind of girl that liked to read sappy romances, but in actuality Sigyn preferred something with a darker edge to it. She enjoyed it when the stories ended happily, but she was more concerned that the work was thought provoking. On the plane's arrival, the Agent escorted Loki and Sigyn onto the tarmac. One look at their surroundings caused Loki to groan.

"What's wrong?" Sigyn asked slightly concerned.

"I know where we are."


	36. Magic, Movies, and Mexican Food

Knock. Knock. Knock.

The Agent chaperoning Loki and Sigyn rapped firmly on the door.

"Hold on a minute will ya!" A frazzled female voice replied.

Loki could hear someone scampering about inside the apartment. A few moments later a short brunette with glasses opened the door.

"What do you wa…" The brunette's eyes opened wide when she caught a glimpse of Loki behind the Agent. "Jane!" She yelled into the apartment.

"Who is it Darcy?" Jane's familiar voice inquired.

"Someone for you!" Darcy yelled back.

Jane came into view of the trio outside and gasped.

"Good afternoon Dr. Foster." The Agent greeted. "Could I have a word with you in private?"

"I think that would be a good idea." She quickly agreed.

The Agent followed her to a different room leaving Loki and Sigyn standing in the hall awkwardly as Darcy stared at them. Finally the brunette, who had been studying both Loki and Sigyn carefully, spoke up.

"You two should probably come in." She invited.

Loki followed Sigyn into the room, but while she went to sit in a chair Loki made his way to the window. The sun was high in the sky beating down relentlessly on the people below. It was much warmer here in New Mexico despite the fact that it was still winter. Sigyn and he would need to change clothes if they didn't want to pass out from heat exhaustion. While Loki stood looking out the window he made sure to pay close attention to the conversation between Sigyn and Darcy. He supposed he could have listened in on the Agent and Dr. Foster, but he already pretty much knew what that conversation would sound like. The Agent would insist that Loki and Sigyn be allowed to stay with Jane and her companion for the night, and Dr. Foster would readily agree to Sigyn's staying while protesting that Loki stay elsewhere. In the end however, the Agent would win out with the information that Thor would be arriving the next day and would expect to see his brother there. Darcy and Sigyn's conversation however, promised to be quite entertaining. Both were curious and a bit too sassy at times so Loki had no doubt they would get along smashingly. Questions were exchanged back and forth between the two nonstop. Sigyn wanted to know about college and life on Earth, while Darcy was interested about Sigyn's markings, her mission, and living with real life elves. As Loki eavesdropped on their excited discussion he couldn't help but realize that his interest in their conversation was less about their topics of choice, and more about the sound of Sigyn's voice.

Sigyn, unlike Thor and Loki, was a wonderful singer. While she was well-known for hitting what Loki considered to be exceedingly high pitches, her speaking voice was neither high-pitched or annoying. Something about it had always soothed Loki. Even when they were growing up she was the one he went to to vent his frustration. He always confided in her partially because she was a good listener, partially because she had good advice, and partially because her voice would calm him. When the Other had made it his sole purpose to torment Loki into submission, Sigyn's voice had been one of the things he had held onto to give him strength and comfort. Eventually it wasn't enough, but for a time it worked. The more and more excited Sigyn got the more animated she became. She would fling her hands about and giggle constantly. Apparently this amused Darcy because she started laughing at Sigyn's antics. By the time the Agent and Dr. Foster came out of their private meeting, Sigyn and Darcy were looking through what Darcy called a magazine for clothing ideas.

Jane let the Agent out and turned to face the now crowded living room.

"It looks like you two will be staying with us this evening." She informed while crossing her arms over her chest.

"Great!" Darcy spoke up. "Ok, before we do anything else you have to show me your changing clothes power." She entreated Sigyn.

Sigyn smiled.

"Pick an outfit." She challenged.

Darcy flipped through the pages and signaled Jane over. The two pointed and whispered about the photos for a minute or so before Darcy signaled Sigyn over and pointed to one.

"Hmm, and I was hoping you would make this a challenge." Sigyn teased.

Her markings began to glow, mesmerizing the two women in front of her, and her overly warm winter wear disappeared. When the transformation was complete, Sigyn was standing in a loose black tank with a large bright pink bow on the back, black wedges, and a pair of shorts. Darcy cheered at the transformation, but all Loki could think was "What is she wearing!?" Never in a Millennia had he seen Sigyn in shorts. They only hit her about mid-thigh, which was shocking for Loki considering the shortest pants he had ever seen her in had gone to her knees. The astonishment on Loki's face showed clearly, and Darcy was sending him amused looks.

"Don't tell me you are one of those guys who thinks women should still wear corsets." She joked.

"Hardly." He replied. "Sigyn is free to wear whatever she wants. I have no say over her."

"Well aren't you going to change?" Darcy prodded.

Loki didn't like the idea of changing his appearance just to amuse this Midgardian girl, but he did need to change clothing before he burnt to death. Sigyn seemed to read his mind, because she took the magazine from Darcy and tossed it over to him.

"We can't have our Frost Giant melting." She teased playfully in an attempt to lighten his mood.

Surprisingly, Loki did find her comment somewhat amusing and playfully rolled his eyes before looking thorough the magazine. While flipping through the pages he came to two conclusions. The first was that Midgardians must get very bored to look through material as pointless as this. Secondly, Midgardian males were not very creative with their clothing. He finally found an outfit that was somewhat bearable, and quickly changed his appearance. He still wore pants, but instead of a leather jacket and scarf, he was left wearing a white dress shirt with the sleeves rolled up and a black vest.

"Not bad." Darcy commented before turning to Jane. "So Sigyn's "Midgardian" experience is completely lacking. I was thinking that we should get Mexican for dinner since so far she's only had pizza, sandwiches, and toast."

"I guess I don't see a problem with that." Jane replied before going to her desk and looking over some papers.

Darcy then jumped from the couch and opened a cabinet full of small thin boxes with pictures on them.

"You also need to watch at least one movie while you are here. We could go with a classic like _Gone with the Wind_, or maybe something a little more lighthearted like a Disney film…"

Darcy began looking through the DVDs and Sigyn went to look with her. After going through all of them Sigyn and Darcy had a pile of possible choices.

"Come help us decide Loki." Sigyn asked.

Loki gave her a quizzical look. "Why should I help you decide?"

"Because you are going to watch them with us, aren't you?"

Sigyn's face took on a look of innocent pleading and Loki silently cursed. That face had been the reason Thor and him had spent countless hours helping her decide what to wear to balls or sitting with her in the gardens. He had once thought that that solitary look could melt the coldest Frost Giants heart, of course at the time he hadn't realized how true that was. He knew that she was doing it on purpose to get her way, but he still couldn't find it within himself to deny her. Besides, what else was he going to do here this evening aside from sitting around bored?

"Fine." He finally relented and went over to inspect the movies they had chosen so far.

Since he knew absolutely nothing about any of these movies, he was forced to read each description before he could make a decision. There were a few that sounded tolerable enough so he handed those over to Darcy who looked over them.

"Looks like we are going to have to have a marathon." She decided. "Hey Jane are you going to join us?"

"I have some work to get done actually." Jane replied. "You three have fun." She encouraged before taking her work to her bedroom.

Darcy just shrugged her shoulders and went to close the blinds. Luckily the couch was large so all three of them could fit onto it fairly easily. Darcy went to put the first movie in and Loki claimed the corner seat. He was somewhat relieved when Sigyn took the middle spot. Darcy got the movie running and sat down next to Sigyn before placing her feet on the coffee table. Sigyn quickly mimicked Darcy's actions. Loki decided against following suite, but he did stretch his long legs out in front of him. The first movie they watched had something to do with a woman accidentally waking up a cursed dead man who is supposed to try to take over Midgard. Loki found the movie to be entertaining enough, but Sigyn seemed to love it. He had a feeling that she would be quoting it frequently. The second film was supposed to be a famous suspense, but Loki just thought it was boring. Spying on ones neighbors was not something that seemed all that interesting, and he found it highly improbable that you would witness a murder while doing so. The movie marathon was put on hold after the second film so that they could go eat dinner.

After a little convincing from Darcy, Jane decided to join them for the meal. The foursome went to a Mexican restaurant that Darcy recommended. Loki let the three women do the talking, as was his custom.

"So what's dating like on Asgard?" Darcy asked.

"Dating?" Sigyn replied a bit confused.

"She means courting." Jane clarified.

"In all honesty, I am not really the person you should ask. I have never been courted." Sigyn confessed.

"Are all the guys as muscled up as Thor?" She pressed.

"Hardly." Sigyn replied with a smile. "Do not misunderstand me, they are in wonderful physical condition, but Thor is a bit of an anomaly even on Asgard." She clarified.

"So what about the Elves? What do they look like?"

"Tall and fair…"

"Like this?" Darcy asked while holding her phone out for Sigyn to see.

Sigyn looked at the man in the photo and nodded. "Very similar to him, but they also have markings like mine all over their bodies."

"Cool." Darcy affirmed.

"So Lady Jane, how did you come to meet Thor?" Sigyn queried before taking a bite of her quesadilla.

Jane gave Sigyn an embarrassed smile. "I hit him with my car."

Sigyn's mouth fell open and Loki failed to smother a laugh. The image of Thor being sent flying by a car was amusing to say the least. At least the first time he had met Jane she only slapped him.

"Yep, and I tazered him." Darcy added.

"Tazered?" Sigyn queried.

Darcy pulled a small black device out or her bag and handed it to Sigyn.

"You pull that trigger, and two electrodes shoot out and electrocute whoever they attach to." She explained. "He was out cold when we dropped him off at the hospital."

Loki smiled to himself. Thor put down by electricity, how ironic.

Sigyn carefully handed the device back to Darcy.

"You know I kind of thought you two would eat like Thor." Darcy admitted after she ordered a sopapilla for the group to share.

Sigyn laughed. "Believe it or not, we actually have a friend who eats more than Thor."

Darcy's eyes went wide at that remark. "Seriously? When Thor was here the first time he ate like five boxes of pop tarts and an entire stack of pancakes for breakfast!"

"I think it was only one box." Jane corrected.

"Whatever," Darcy replied flippantly "all I know is that he was still hungry after all of that."

"That does not surprise me." Sigyn replied.

The dessert was brought out, and both Sigyn and Loki were brave enough to try it. While neither of them was overly fond of sweets, they both could agree that in small quantities this particular one was not displeasing. Since Darcy had mysteriously forgotten her wallet at the apartment Jane paid for the meal.

"Don't worry, I'm sure S.H.I.E.L.D will foot the bill." Darcy assured as Jane handed the waiter her credit card.

Once back at the apartment Darcy put the third and final movie in. Loki had chosen it merely because it looked like something Sigyn would enjoy. When she asked why the movie looked like a strange moving painting Darcy explained that it was an animated movie, which meant that everything had been drawn. Loki hadn't expected to pay much attention to the film, but the opening music caught his attention immediately. The story was simple enough, yet oddly unsettling. A deformed man wants nothing more than to be accepted by society and the man who raised him. Halfway through the movie Loki began to seriously regret choosing it. How could the movie want the audience to side with the social outcast, when in reality things like that never happened? As the concluding notes of the movie faded Loki was left pondering its final question.

What makes a monster and what makes a man?

Loki had previously thought he was a Frost Giant, therefore a monster. He wasn't so sure about that anymore.

_"It was the idea of what your physical state symbolized that pushed you over the edge." _

Sigyn seemed to think that it was his actions that defined him as a monster, and Loki found that surprisingly comforting. If his past actions had cursed him to be a monster, then maybe his future ones could redeem him. He wasn't sure if redemption was even possible, but it wasn't like he had anything left to lose. What would one more failure matter?

Since it was late after the movie ended Darcy took it out and went to bed. Sigyn and Loki were left alone in the living room to sort out sleeping arrangements. Loki wanted Sigyn to take the couch since she needed the sleep more than he did, which left him the floor. They both searched the living room for items to make a cot with. Sigyn found some blankets in a basket by the TV, but there were no extra pillows anywhere in the room. To fix that problem Sigyn took a couple off of the couch that she wouldn't need. Neither of them bothered to change their clothing, and they both fell comfortably asleep within minutes of lying down.


	37. Fury's Test

Jane slept fitfully, and finally gave up altogether not long after dawn. Excitement over seeing Thor and the 'god of mischief' sleeping in her living room were both contributing factors to her lack of sleep. Jane needed to at least clear her head before what was likely to be a long day so she jumped into the shower. The Agent had mentioned that Thor and the others would be arriving around midday so Jane made a list of things to keep her busy till they arrived. Once she had finished her shower and changed, she snuck through the living room to the kitchen to grab something for breakfast. She noticed Sigyn curled up on the couch and Loki sprawled on the floor. They seemed to be sleeping soundly. Jane sat down at the small breakfast table with a bowl of cereal and unfinished work from the night before. Every once in a while she would look up to see if Sigyn or Loki had woken up, but neither stirred. Jane wasn't sure how long she had been silently at work when Darcy stumbled out of her bedroom.

"Morning Jane." She sleepily greeted.

Jane gave her the "shush" signal, and pointed to the two still sleeping Asgardians.

"Oh right." Darcy whispered before starting the coffee pot.

The wonderful aroma of the coffee began to fill the room, causing the two sleepers to stir. Loki sat up first and ran his hands through his hair. Sigyn sat up not long after.

"Good morning you two." Darcy greeted while pouring a cup of coffee for herself.

"Good morning." Sigyn replied. "I fear we might have overslept a bit."

"Not really. Thor and the other Avengers won't be here till about noon." Jane assured.

"You should come have some breakfast." Darcy suggested. "We pretty much only have cereal, but it's better than nothing."

Sigyn and Loki both took her up on the offer. The small table was a bit crowded with all four of them plus Jane's work, but no one complained. Loki poured himself a cup of coffee, but Sigyn made sure to stay far away from it. She wasn't sure how anyone could like a drink that was so bitter. She also found it a bit odd that Darcy was eyeing Loki carefully as he drank the hot liquid.

"Is something wrong?" She asked curiously.

"Not yet, I'm just making sure he doesn't smash the cup when he's finished with it." Darcy replied.

"What? Why would I do that?" Loki asked.

"That's what Thor did the first time he had coffee. He literally downed the entire thing in one gulp, looked at the glass, and said 'This drink…I like it. Another!' before smashing the empty cup on the ground." Darcy recalled while reenacting the scene for her guests.

Sigyn giggled. "That sounds like something Thor would do." She admitted.

Loki just rolled his eyes before finishing off the last of his drink and over exaggeratedly placing the empty mug down on the table.

"Someone is feeling rather sassy this morning." Sigyn commented before retrieving her book and sitting down to read.

Darcy began studying at the insistence of Jane, and Loki simply looked out the window in silence. He wasn't sure what skills Fury intended to test Sigyn on or why, but he had a feeling that it was certainly going to be interesting.

Not long before noon there was a knock at the door and Jane practically ran to answer it. Sure enough there stood Thor and the other Avengers.

"Good afternoon My Lady, I believe we left a pair of troublemakers here with you." He teased.

Jane simply smiled and let Thor and his companions into the apartment.

"Thank you for allowing Sigyn and Loki to stay here Dr. Foster." Fury thanked. "I assume they didn't cause any problems."

"None at all." Jane guaranteed.

Meanwhile Darcy was looking over each of the men that had entered the room. After a quick glance she gave an approving eyebrow raise and nudged Sigyn in the side.

"So which one is your favorite?" She asked in a hushed voice.

"What do you mean?" Sigyn whispered back.

"Which one of the Avengers do you think is the most attractive?" Darcy clarified.

Sigyn shrugged. "I am not sure. None of them are really the type of man I am attracted to romantically."

"What do you mean none of them are your type? You have practically every type represented. The outgoing flirt, the quiet genius, the blonde gentleman, and the playful puppy dog-like guy."

Sigyn didn't have an opportunity to respond however, because Fury was insistent that everyone head to S.H.I.E.L.D's newly built base so he could put Sigyn through her test. Sigyn rode with Darcy, Steve, and Agent Hill to the base. The talk between the three in the backseat was lighthearted, while Agent Hill seemed to pay them no mind. They finally arrived at the base and Fury led them into a large room with nothing in it. Sigyn stared at the room in confusion.

"So what exactly is this test?" She finally asked.

"We know that you can use your magic for healing, protection, and seeing into people's memories, but we don't know if you can fight. Thor said that you trained with him on Asgard, but you've never seen combat. Before we send you off on a mission that might require fighting skills I need to assess your readiness." Fury explained.

"No offense Director, but I am going on this mission whether my skills are up to your standards or not."

"Then let's just say it's purpose is to ease my mind. I don't like thinking that I am sending the Princess of Asgard on a suicide mission." Fury reasoned.

_"Pick your battles…pick your battles…"_ Sigyn kept thinking to herself in an annoyed fashion.

She unconsciously crossed her arms over her chest in irritation. "Fine, what must I do to prove myself?"

"I want to see your combat skills in action. It will just be a little sparring." Fury promised.

"Against whom?" Sigyn probed.

"Pick your poison." Fury offered.

Sigyn glanced at those around her and sighed. "Come on Loki, let's get this over with."

The Avengers began to murmur amongst themselves at Sigyn's choice, but she paid them no heed. If she was going to play Fury's game she was at least going to play it on her own terms. Loki entered the room with her.

"You are seriously going to go through with this? We could just teleport away now and begin our search without all of these formalities." He pointed out.

"True, but let's face it, we both want to prove ourselves." Sigyn retorted.

Loki smirked at her and took a spot across the room. Their Midgardian attire had melted away leaving them standing in their light armor.

"Just like old times again." Loki quipped.

"Not quite." Sigyn replied with a smile.

Loki gazed at her with a perplexed look upon his face.

"You might want to call on Laevateinn, you're going to need it." She informed.

Sigyn held out her hand and Gambanteinn materialized.

"May I see it?" Loki requested, nodding his head in the direction of Gambanteinn.

Without hesitating Sigyn threw the staff over to him, and Loki neatly caught it. He took a few moments to look over it before sending Sigyn another questioning stare.

"Gambanteinn?"

"I am glad you recognize it." Sigyn confirmed.

"It is a magical weapon, of course I recognize it."

Loki spun it in his hand.

"How did you come across it?" He queried while tossing the staff back over to Sigyn.

"Celleth received it from a Dark Elf during battle, and he entrusted it to me." Sigyn explained.

Loki nodded in understanding as his own staff, Laevateinn, materialized into his hand. Both took their fighting stance, and the showdown began.


	38. Loki vs Sigyn

Thor knew little about magic, but he was very well versed in weaponry.

"Gambanteinn…" He murmured to himself in slight awe.

"What is it?" Barton asked.

"It is a legendary weapon." Thor began. "It was said that the staff was created by the Dark Elves before the Dark Times. It was rumored that Gambanteinn possessed such strong magic that only one chosen by the staff could wield it properly."

"What kind of magic does it have?" Natasha queried.

"No one knows. The staff disappeared without ever chosing a wielder." Thor explained as Loki tossed the staff in question back to Sigyn.

"What about Laevateinn?" Steve asked. "What is it?"

"Another staff." Thor replied right before the staff appeared in Loki's hands. "Loki created it centuries ago to help him harness his magic while fighting."

Loki seemed to test how Laevateinn felt in his hands for a moment. He had stopped using it in battle long ago, opting instead for throwing knives. Both combatants took their ready stance, and the match begun. Sigyn and Loki had similar fighting styles that combined physical attacks with their magical abilities. Loki immediately made several copies of himself, and each went in for an attack. Thor knew only the true Loki would be able to land a hit, but Thor could never tell which one was the true Loki. Sigyn on the other hand, seemed to have no problems with that. She quickly blocked the attack from the Loki furthest to her right.

"That may still work on Thor, but there is no way it will work against me." Sigyn scolded. "Your copies don't think." She remarked while disarming Loki of his staff.

Loki dropped to his knees to dodge a strike from Sigyn, and attempted to kick her legs out from under her. Sigyn swiftly jumped to avoid his attempted leg sweep, and Loki rolled out of the way and over to his staff before she could strike again. Once over to his staff, he quickly placed his hand on the ground, and cast a spell that turned the floor into ice. Sigyn, who was just coming down from her jump, slipped on the ice and landed with a hard thud.

"And why does that matter?" Loki asked as he smirked at Sigyn who was sprawled on the ground.

"Because with the Mind Gem I can freely access the thoughts of others, and your clones don't think so I know which one is really you." A familiar voice replied from behind Loki.

Loki turned to look at the true Sigyn who was standing behind him, and her strike with Gambanteinn landed right across his cheek sending him reeling. Loki managed to form two daggers and throw them at Sigyn with deadly accuracy, but Sigyn used the power of Gambanteinn to deflect them harmlessly away. Sigyn then sent her own burst of energy Loki's way. Loki sensed the attack before Sigyn could send it off so he extended Laevateinn in front of himself and emitted a protective barrier using the staff. The attack successfully blocked, Loki went in for some close combat fighting.

Thor and the others present watched intently as the green and pink forms parried and countered both physical and magical attacks.

"Is it just me, or is Loki putting up a better fight now then he did during New York?" Stark noted

"That is because he is fighting with his strengths." Thor pointed out. "In New York he tried to fight my way, which is why he was defeated."

"Don't you think we've seen enough?" Steve asked Fury. "They can obviously handle themselves."

"I'll say." Darcy agreed in an amused tone.

Fury sent Darcy a _"What are you even doing here?" _look before replying to Captain Rogers.

"I want to see who wins." He stated simply.

By this point Loki had managed to flip Sigyn over his back, but she had landed in a crouched position ready to strike again. Unfortunately for her, Loki still had Gambanteinn in his hands. Now that Loki had both weapons Sigyn needed to come up with a plan in a hurry. She thought about trying to wrestle her staff back from him, but Loki was still physically stronger than her. Instead, she thought she might try a different tactic. Before he could try to use Gambanteinn for an attack, Sigyn used her magic to try and heat the staff up. The tactic worked, and Loki quickly threw the staff away before it could burn him severely. Sigyn teleported herself to where the staff was sitting, but she was unable to pick it up.

"I wouldn't bother with that." Loki remarked cooly as Sigyn tugged at Gambanteinn. "Gambanteinn is stuck there for the time being."

Sigyn knew Loki must have used some type of spell, but because he was rapidly approaching she didn't have time to try and break it. Silently Sigyn cast a spell to ensnare Loki before he could reach her. Unwittingly he stepped right into her trap, and Sigyn smirked before using her magic to catapult Loki to the rafters. She released the spell before he hit the ceiling, and he managed to grab on to one of the exposed metal beams of the roof at the cost of losing Laevateinn. Sigyn went for Loki's staff, but Loki had already placed the same spell he had used on Gambanteinn on it. Sigyn turned to face where Loki was standing in the rafters when she felt a strong grip on her ankle. She knew before her feet left the ground what Loki was up to, and was prepared to grab onto a beam before she could plummet back down to the ground. Now that both of them were in the rafters their close combat fighting commenced again. Loki landed a dizzying turning round-kick to Sigyn's temple, and she almost lost her balance. Before she could recover Loki was behind her and had her in a headlock.

"Time to tap out." He recommended.

Sigyn grabbed on to Loki's arm and began to try and break the headlock. This action only caused Loki's vice-like grip to tighten. As Sigyn's vision began to swim she came up with one desperate move. She sunk her teeth into the exposed part of Loki's upper hand and lower wrist.

"You saucy Harpy!" Loki muttered while quickly pulling back from Sigyn.

Sigyn took this opportunity to throw a sidekick into his chest. Her foot met its target, but Loki managed to hold on to her leg. The mischievous gleam in Loki's eye told Sigyn that two could play dirty.

"Loki…" Sigyn intoned.

"See you down below." He replied.

As he began to throw her off, Sigyn jumped off of her free leg and slammed a round-kick into Loki's head. She may be going down, but he was coming with her.

Jane let out a gasp as Sigyn and Loki began to fall from the beam. Thor knew that they could use their magic to slow their fall, but for some reason neither of them appeared to be doing so. Thor assumed they must be unconscious so he quickly swung Mjölnir and shot through the full-length glass partition to catch them. To his utter surprise, Thor went straight through the two falling figures and landed a few feet away from where their bodies should have been lying. The entire group ran through the ruined viewing window to inspect the area where Sigyn and Loki's figures had vanished. Laughter began to echo from the rafters, and Thor dropped Mjölnir before glancing up. The rest of those present did the same. A very unharmed Loki and Sigyn were still perched upon the beam. Sigyn was hanging upside down from the beam, her dirty-blonde hair dangling. Loki was sitting on the beam with one leg swinging over the side, his rich baritone mixing with her tinkling soprano in fits of laughter.

"Did we scare you brother?" Sigyn asked before releasing herself from the beam and flipping down to the floor.

"That was not amusing Sigyn. You and Loki could have been injured in that little stunt of yours." Thor scolded.

"Actually they were our doubles so we couldn't have been harmed." Loki corrected after jumping down to the ground as well.

Thor's heart leapt at the expression on Loki's face. He was smiling with Sigyn. For a moment Thor felt as if he had been transported back to their childhood. He hadn't seen such a genuine smile from Loki since the day of his ruined coronation.

Loki released both Laevateinn and Gambanteinn from his spell, and went to retrieve Laevateinn. Sigyn went to recover her own staff, and after dissipating it into mid-air again she approached Mjölnir.

"You really should not leave this lying about." She reprimanded.

Thor was on his way over to retrieve it when Sigyn reached down and grabbed the handle.

"I do not thi…" Thor began, but stopped mid-sentence as Sigyn lifted the hammer from its resting place.

The room went silent as the group stared at her in shock. Sigyn was confused by their reaction, but handed the hammer back to Thor without questioning the group's flabbergasted expressions.

"Ummm… which way is the restroom?" Sigyn finally asked.

Director Fury pointed down a hallway.

"I think I'll go with you." Darcy stated in excitement, and the two went off to the restroom.

When the pair were safely out of hearing range Stark spoke up.

"Ok, how did the 120 pound girl just lift the hammer of epicness?"

"The Other Guy couldn't even lift it." Dr. Banner pointed out.

"Whosoever finds this hammer, if he be worthy, shall posses the power of Thor." Loki muttered.

"What?" Agent Hill prodded.

"Weilding Mjölnir has nothing to do with strength." Loki clarified. "When the AllFather banished Thor to Midgard he placed that spell upon Mjölnir. One can only lift the hammer if they are considered worthy enough."

"Does she know that?" Barton asked curiously.

"No, she wasn't even there when Thor was sent to Midgard." Loki disclosed.

"Hmm maybe daddy chose the wrong sibling to rule." Stark teased.

Thor smiled. "Perhaps."


	39. He has the hots for her

Sigyn glanced over her features in the mirror. There was a little bit of bruising from her and Loki's sparring match, but it wasn't anything that a little magic couldn't heal.

"So that was interesting." Darcy commented nonchalantly.

Sigyn glanced at the brunette in the mirror.

"What was?"

"You lifting Thor's hammer. I didn't think anyone but him could pick that thing up."

"Well I suppose you thought wrong." Sigyn replied casually.

Darcy shifted to the opposite side of the counter capturing Sigyn's attention once more.

"So what about you and Loki?" She teased.

Sigyn let out a sigh. "What about him?"

"He smiled at you…SMILED!" Darcy proclaimed. "Seriously, I didn't think the guy could even do that."

Sigyn shrugged. "I guess I just do not find it to be that noteworthy. Loki used to smile all the time when we were young, usually because he or Thor had gotten us into some sort of mischief." She recalled.

Darcy jumped up on the counter and sat with her legs dangling over the edge.

"Well what about you? None of the Avengers are your type, so is he?"

"Despite what Midgardians seem to think, we don't marry our siblings on Asgard." Sigyn pointed out.

"Maybe not, but you two aren't really siblings now are you?" Darcy retorted.

"No, but we were raised as them…"

"Uh-uh." Darcy interrupted. "You admitted to me yesterday that you knew he wasn't your real brother."

Sigyn smiled. "I fear that you have already made up your mind on this matter, and that any justification I can give against your theory will simply be brushed off."

"Yea, pretty much." Darcy replied before jumping off of the counter and heading towards the door with Sigyn.

The two girls went back to the training room where everyone was still waiting for them.

"Nice of you two to finally join us again." Director Fury addressed impatiently.

Sigyn ignored the acerbic welcome. "So did I pass your test?"

"With flying colors." Fury replied definitively.

"So Loki and I are free to be on our way?" Sigyn inquired.

"Once we clear up a few last minute details yes, you will be allowed to leave."

Sigyn knew that she didn't really have to have S.H.I.L.D's permission to do anything, but if she wanted their help she needed to stay on good terms with them. Fury led the way to yet another conference room, and Sigyn was glad that this was the last one she was going to have to be in for a while. Agent Hill insisted that Jane and Darcy leave before they held an official meeting, but Fury pointed out that Jane had already sat in on one of those meetings before and that Darcy was already probably well aware of Sigyn's intentions.

"You came to us looking for help Sigyn, now its time for you to tell us what you need." Fury instructed.

Sigyn glanced at each person sitting in the room before responding.

"First, understand that none of you are committed to anything. If at any point you feel as though you do not wish to be a part of this, know that I will not hold it against you." Sigyn prefaced.

"We are all aware of that Sigyn, go on." Fury assured.

"Very well. As you all know, Loki and I must go in search of the other Infinity Gems. It will also be our task to try and determine both Thanos's movements and his dealings with the other Realms. I fear that on that front there is nothing you can do to assist us, but there are other things that must be done. While Loki and I can slow Thanos's progress, I do not believe that we will be able to prevent him from attacking other Realms."

"Which is why you need our help." Agent Romanov deduced.

"Yes. If I receive intelligence regarding Thanos's military movements I need to know that I can entrust that information to people who have the ability to challenge him." Sigyn admitted.

"It sounds to me like you need an army, not a rag tag group of specialists." Barton pointed out.

"That is why Thor must return to Asgard and convince the AllFather that he should be allowed to lead the Asgardian army against Thanos should he attack." Sigyn explained.

"What about us?" Steve asked.

"You have experience fighting against a Titian army, and our Asgardian troops could benefit from that." Sigyn replied.

"So you want us to go to Asgard?" Dr. Banner asked.

"If you are willing to go, yes."

"Hold up, let's say you do find out information on Thanos, how do you plan on contacting us? I doubt my cellphone has service on Asgard." Stark inquired.

"The Mind Gem enhances my psionic powers so it will be fairly easy for me to contact you."

"Ok another question." Stark countered. "You said that you could tell Loki apart from his clones because you could hear his thoughts, so can't you just read Thanos's thoughts from here?"

Sigyn gave Stark a disbelieving stare. "Of course not. I only have access to the thoughts of those who are physically around me. As I said before Mr. Stark, you do not have to go if you do not wish to. I can understand if you would rather not get involved in this."

Loki examined each of the Avengers faces. There was no doubt in his mind that Captain America and Thor were on board with Sigyn's plans, but the other four were a bit harder to read. He was fairly certain that if one of the assassins signed on the other would follow, and he was not disappointed.

"It's been a bit boring around here lately, I could use a good adventure." Barton relented.

Natasha shook her head in agreement. "You can count me in."

"I'm not sure how I can help since I wasn't there for the battle on Alfheim, but if Thanos is as strong as you seem to believe, then maybe the… Other Guy… could be of some assistance." Dr. Banner finally decided.

All eyes were on Tony, and he merely shrugged.

"Come on guys I'm 'Sailor Mars,' I can't leave 'Sailor Moon' hanging." He replied with a smile.

Sigyn must have been more anxious about the Avengers agreeing to her plan than she had looked because Loki could swear that she was glowing with relief.

"Its settled then. The Avengers will go with Thor to Asgard, but I want to make one modification to your plan." Director Fury stated.

"What kind of modification?" Sigyn questioned.

"I want to add another member to the team. It is my recommendation that Agent Hill accompany the Avengers to Asgard as a go between for S.H.I.E.L.D. With the Bifrost repaired she can travel back and forth between the two Realms to keep us in contact with one another." Fury rationalized.

Sigyn looked from Fury to Thor. "That is your side of the mission so I will allow you to make the final call, but I do believe that the Director's idea has merit."

Thor nodded in agreement. "I can find no objection to that recommendation."

"So where will you and Loki begin searching?" Dr. Banner inquired.

"Vanaheim." Loki and Sigyn replied together.

"I see you two spent your down time planning." Fury commented.

"Actually they spent it watching movies." Darcy corrected.

"Vanaheim is the obvious choice." Loki pointed out before anyone else could comment. "We need to determine whether or not Thanos was able to acquire the Infinity Gem when he attacked Vanaheim…"

"and to do that we will have to speak to Freyja in person." Sigyn completed.

"Then its time you get started." Fury directed.

"My thoughts exactly." Sigyn agreed.

Everyone in the conference room stood and followed Sigyn back into the training room. On the way Sigyn changed her clothing from her armour to a sapphire and gold gown. Once they reached the training room it was time to say their final goodbyes. Loki positioned himself a little ways away from the main group to avoid having to say anything. Sigyn embraced Thor first.

"Good luck brother. I will be sure to pass any information that I get on to you."

"Stay safe Sigyn." Thor replied before kissing Sigyn on the top of her head.

Thor went to stand by Loki after saying goodbye to Sigyn, and they both watched on as she hugged Stark, Steve, Jane, and Darcy. As Darcy began to take photos with Sigyn Thor turned to Loki.

"I am trusting you to look out for my sister." Thor informed Loki in a confidential tone.

Thor had said "my sister" not "our sister," and that fact didn't escape Loki's notice. He crossed his arms and looked at Thor, but the blonde never took his eyes off of Sigyn.

"I think you underestimate her ability to look after herself." Loki replied.

Thor glanced Loki's way, but didn't reply since Sigyn was approaching.

"Are you ready?" She inquired of Loki.

Loki nodded and Sigyn opened the portal for the pair to step through. When the light faded the Avengers looked at one another.

"I'm still not ecstatic that we sent her off with Loki." Agent Barton asserted.

"Loki will watch out for her." Thor defended.

"What makes you so certain about that?" Agent Romanov asked.

"Because he has the hots for her." Darcy spoke up.

Those present gaped at Darcy's slightly crude remark, but she could care less what they thought. In the end, they would see what she saw.


	40. Vanaheim

Vanaheim.

Home of the Vanir and Realm of Queen Freyja.

As a frequent guest in Odin's court and sister of Freyr, Sigyn was used to seeing the Queen of Vanaheim frequently on both Asgard and Alfheim. Freyja was known for her beauty. Her flowing silver-blonde hair was the envy of every royal court, but the ruler of the Vanir was more than just a pretty face. Freya was a fairly gifted magician, and though she was not as wise as Odin, she was an intelligent woman.

Sigyn was not exactly sure how to approach the topic of the Infinity Gems with Freyja, but she was even less sure how to explain Loki's presence. It wasn't that she had forgotten that small complication, it was just that she hadn't come up with a believable solution. This problem could no longer be avoided however, when Sigyn managed to open the portal in the town center of the capital city. Those milling about the city center stopped whatever they had been doing to stare at the new arrivals. Surprisingly, no one seemed frightened by the sight of a war criminal standing leisurely in the town square. Sigyn turned to comment on that fact to Loki, but came face to face with a green-eyed Thor instead. Loki's ability to shapeshift had run across Sigyn's mind as a possible solution to their little problem, but she knew that Freyja would see right through the act. She knew well enough that Thor had blue eyes, and Loki's shapeshifting was checked by his inability to change his eye color. Fortunately no one currently in the square noticed this detail. Those nearby seemed too nervous by Sigyn and "Thor's" sudden appearance to approach them. Loki took the initiative to approach a nearby guard and requestd to be taken to Freyja immediately. The stunned guard complied, and Sigyn fell in step behind Loki as was the acceptable custom in deference to the crown Prince Thor.

Sigyn inspected the city carefully as they made their way to the palace. There was still a bit of visible damage from Thanos's attack on the city, but it was nothing compared to the devastation Sigyn had seen on Alfheim. The cobblestone streets reminded Sigyn of Asgard, but the buildings seemed to lead to the palace instead of surrounding it. The crystal steps leading up to the palace looked akin to cascading water, like the waterfall that the palace was situated in front of. The castle itself was shimmering silver in the afternoon sunlight, while purple banners with Freyja's crest flowed in the breeze. The structure was elegant bespeaking of its occupant. The guard led the pair to the entrance of Freyja's grand hall before bowing and excusing himself. He slipped into the hall and Sigyn and Loki were left alone for a few moments.

"She won't fall for your little trick you know." Sigyn warned.

"I am aware of that, but we needed some way to get me to the castle other than in handcuffs." Loki pointed out.

The door to the hall opened and a man whom Sigyn recognized as one of Freyja's courtiers joined them outside the hall.

"Queen Freyja will see you Prince Thor." The courtier greeted with a slight bow.

"And the Princess Sigyn?" Loki asked.

"Of course the Princess is welcome to enter as well." The courtier replied with a slight bow in Sigyn's direction.

The courtier opened the door to the chamber and Loki led the way to where Freyja stood. Sigyn had expected the Queen to be seated at her royal throne, but it appeared that Freyja was more inclined to look out one of the many crystal windows that the curved room contained. Freya turned to look at Loki and Sigyn and smiled. Loki, in the form of Thor, went to one knee in respect and Sigyn dropped into a deep curtsy.

"This is a pleasant surprise Thor Odinson, Crown Prince of Asgard, made even more delightful by the presence of your sister. Sigyn Sylvathdóttir, Princess of Asgard, I do not recall you ever gracing my halls before."

"Indeed My Lady, I have not." Sigyn replied.

"Freyer informed me of the death of your father Princess. I am very sorry for your loss, it must be painful to have lost both your father and mother in such a short span of time. Frigga was a dear friend of mine, and Sylvath was the greatest sorcerer I have ever known. My brother tells me however, that you seem primed to follow in Sylvath's footsteps."

"Thank you for your condolences My Lady." Sigyn thanked.

"So to what do I owe the honor of this visit from Asgard?" Freyja inquired.

"I have word from Odin." Loki responded while rising to his feet once more.

Freyja nodded her head.

"Then perhaps it would be best if we spoke in private."

As if on cue, those few courtiers and guards present in the intimate hall left the room. Once Freyja was certain that the three of them were quite alone she turned to Loki with a severe look.

"And what has brought Loki Odinson, an escaped war criminal, to my court." She demanded.

"I have." Sigyn defended as Loki returned to his normal appearance. "I am searching for the Infinity Gems, and I require Loki's help."

There was no point in beating around the bush with Freyja. The Queen eyed Loki carefully before making her way to Sigyn.

"Walk with me." Freyja requested.

The two women began to walk around the hall leaving Loki standing by a window.

"When Odin sent word that Asgard had been attacked and that you, Thor, and Loki had disappeared out of Heimdall's view he seemed concerned about you intentions, and now I see why. You are searching for the Infinity Gems, why?"

"I have no interest in the Gems other than to protect them from Thanos."

"And your interests in Loki? Why do you need him?"

"He knows Thanos and how he thinks, not to mention he can help me navigate the Realms that I have never been to."

Freyja took a few moments to consider Sigyn's explinaitons.

"My brother informed me that you brought Midgardian warriors with you when you came to Alfheim."

"I did, they are friends of Thor." Sigyn replied.

"Loki, come join us." Freyja requested.

Loki sauntered over, not entirely sure of what Freyja was going to say.

"By all rights I should inform Odin that you are here and turn you over to Asgardian officials, but under the circumstances I will not. I trust Sigyn's judgement so I will refrain from informing the AllFather till after you have departed. I assume that you are still shielding your presence from Heimdall's gaze?"

Sigyn nodded.

"Very well, you will both remain here under my supervision while you conduct your search for the Gem." Freyja dictated.

"So you are not aware of its location?" Sigyn asked.

"Odin did not entrust the Gem to me, and I can only assume that Thanos was unable to locate it when he attacked."

"If he failed to locate it he will be back." Sigyn pointed out.

"And the Vanir will be ready for him." Freyja replied sternly.

"Do you have a library or records room where we can start our research?" Loki queried.

"Of course, follow me."

The halls of the palace were empty as the three walked to the library. Loki decided to keep his own form, but kept a wary eye out for any curious servants. Freyja allowed Sigyn and Loki to stay in the library unattended, and they began to pour over records.

"There must be some sort of reasoning behind Odin's choice of protectors." Sigyn reasoned aloud while pouring over citizen registries.

"I agree, and we need to figure out what that reasoning is or it could take a long time to locate the Gems." Loki replied.

Sigyn groaned and rubbed her temples.

"Great, now you've got me doing that." She lamented before putting her head on the table in front of her. "Please tell me I'm not crazy Loki."

"I would, but all evidence would suggest otherwise. You enjoy spending time with your murderous adopted Frost Giant brother, and find some sort of twisted pleasure in taunting creatures who intended to take possession of the Nine Realms."

Loki's dark humor earned him a half-smile from Sigyn, but after hours of futile searching he could tell she was beginning to lose faith in herself.

"If we can't locate them maybe Thanos won't be able to either. Perhaps I am wasting our times and talents on this search…"

"Look at me." Loki requested before Sigyn could finish her thought. Sigyn didn't comply so Loki pushed her research across the table and sat on its edge before lifting her head to face him. "You are not wasting anyone's time. Just because the Gems are cleverly hidden doesn't mean that Thanos won't find them. He will burn every Realm to the ground to locate these Gems, which means that they must have the best protection possible."

Sigyn gazed into Loki's eyes as he unconsciously rubbed his thumb across her check bone. Most people said that his touch was abnormally cold, and given his Frost Giant heritage that would make some sense. Sigyn, on the other hand, never noticed the difference in his temperature since she always seemed to be cold anyway. To her, Loki's touch was simply soothing.

Loki seemed hypnotized as he locked his gaze with Sigyn. If he didn't know any better he would have thought that they were sitting in the library on Asgard just like when they were younger. Something about this just felt right. Sigyn and him sitting in the library… together.

"Sylvath and S.H.I.E.L.D, what do they have in common that would draw Odin to them as protectors of the Gems?" Sigyn finally questioned aloud.

"Perhaps the answer isn't found in how they are the same." Loki theorized

"You're right." Sigyn conceded. "There are few similarities between them. Let's analyze their strength's then. Sylvath was a powerful magician, and S.H.I.E.L.D… S.H.I.E.L.D is an intelligence agency." Sigyn stated in growing excitement.

"That much is obvious, but I fail to see the reason for your renewed vigour." Loki replied.

Sigyn rose quickly from her seat and began to speak as she looked through the library shelves again.

"The Light Elves of Alfheim are known for their advanced use of magic, so Odin left the Mind Gem with the strongest magician. When you read writing regarding the Nine Realms, what is it that the Midgardians are known for?"

Loki thought for a second. "Nothing." He finally replied.

"Exactly! It is almost as if the other Realm's don't know they exist, sort of like an intelligence agency." Sigyn responded as she pulled a book from the shelf triumphantly. "Each protector was entrusted with an Infinity Gem based on the known strength of their Realm, and their connection to that strength."

Loki thought over Sigyn's reasoning before going to look over her shoulder.

"So Midgard's strength is…"

"Secrecy. The ability to stay anonymous, just like S.H.I.E.L.D agents." Sigyn answered.

Sigyn flipped through the pages, and Loki decided to ask his next question.

"So what is the Vanir's greatest strength?"

Sigyn finally found the page she had been looking for, but held the book up to her chest and looked over her shoulder at Loki.

"Do you not remember that Frigga was one of the Vanir?" She rebuked. "What was her most prized ability?"

"Aside from raising the oddest assortment of children ever found in the Nine Realms?" He retorted playfully.

"Aside from raising the oddest assortment of children ever found in the Nine Realms." Sigyn replied with a smile.

"Foresight… of course, a trait of the Vanir. Many of them have the ability to see into the future."

"Yes, but few can actually control their ability. In fact, I know of only one."

Sigyn pulled the book down from her chest so that both she and Loki could see it. On the page was a biography of Vileitha Einrundóttir, the only known member of the Vanir with the ability to control their gift of foresight. She could look into the future at will.

Assuming Sigyn was correct, Loki had to begrudgingly admit that Odin's plan was fairly clever. What defender could be better than one who could see the enemy coming?

Sigyn went to close the book, but Loki slipped his hand into it. Sigyn turned her head to ask Loki what he was doing, and discovered his face almost next to her's.

_"Heavens…"_ Sigyn thought silently.

Loki was looking intently at the book in her hands so he didn't notice her studying his face. He had to lean down since she was so much shorter than him, and his Green eyes shone merely inches away from her cheek. Sigyn thought that Loki was extraordinarily handsome. Growing up she had always admired him, but somewhere along the way her admiration had grown to something more akin to infatuation. Simply being near her adopted brother caused her heart to race. She was thankful that she only had to have physical contact with him while dancing, because her body would have betrayed her feelings to him. Luckily while dancing he always seemed to assume that Sigyn's odd behavior was because him trying to guess who she had fallen in love with flustered her. Sigyn had carried the secret of her love for Loki in silence for centuries, knowing that others would frown upon her feelings for him since he was assumed to be her half-brother. Sigyn closed her eyes and let his familiar scent wrap around her senses. Leather, parchment, and some pleasant scent that she was never able to place helped to steady her racing pulse.

"Have you ever thought about the fact that you aren't really Asgardian, but Vanir?" Loki abruptly asked drawing Sigyn back to the present.

"No, not really. Why the curiosity?" Sigyn queried.

"No reason in particular… Do you have the ability to see into the future too?"

Sigyn looked down to the page Loki had turned to, and was met with Frigga's name and biography.

"I do not believe I received that gift from Frigga." Sigyn replied honestly.

The saddened look on Loki's face caused the pain from Frigga's death to resurface for Sigyn. Neither of them had gotten a proper goodbye. She was in Alfheim, and he in solitary confinement. Not able to stand the sudden sorrowful atmosphere, Sigyn quickly shut the ancient tome and placed it back on the shelf.

"We better be going if we wish to see Lady Vileitha tonight." She quickly noted and headed towards the door. Loki quickly caught up and got in front of her.

"It is already too late this evening to disturb her, we should wait until the morning." He suggested.

"Loki is right." Freyja's voice agreed from the library doorway. "I was just coming to fetch you two. You have not eaten since you arrived, and you will get nowhere fast on an empty stomach."

Sigyn reluctantly agreed, and Freyja led them to a bedchamber.

"I am afraid you will have to share a room this evening. I have already told the courtier's that Thor has returned to Asgard, but that Sigyn is staying for at least a day or two before she leaves. I am having dinner brought to your shared chambers, so I would suggest you hide yourself Loki when the maid arrives with the meal."

Sigyn and Loki entered the chambers and made sure that the door was locked behind them. Loki concealed his presence till after the maid bringing the food left. The pair sat down for a quick meal, and then prepared for bed. Loki only took off his outer layers of leather clothing, and Sigyn decided only to remove the first of the three layers she was wearing. Once both were ready for bed, Sigyn sent for the maid to collect their dirty dishes. Loki concealed himself once again, and was relieved when the maid finally managed to clear all of the dishes. Sigyn closed the door once more and turned to see Loki studying the couch.

"I assume you wish me to take the couch." he stated.

Sigyn shook her head "no." "You slept on the floor last night, I can take the couch and you the bed." She offered.

Loki glanced at the bed then back to Sigyn. She couldn't be certain, but she thought Loki looked a bit nervous.

"We could theoretically share the bed." He offered. "It is certainly large enough for two."

"Isn't that a bit… a bit unconventional?" Sigyn stammered out.

"It wasn't an issue when we were children, why should it matter now?"

"Because we are adults!" She protested.

"Come now Sigyn, it will be just like when you used to sneak into my room during storms." Loki encouraged.

Sigyn rolled her eyes, but headed to the bed anyway.

"You know I was never actually frightened by the storms…" Sigyn defended while pulling back the covers and sliding in.

"I know." Loki replied before following suit.

The two of them lay awkwardly for a moment. Loki kept as far to the right side of the bed as he could, and Sigyn stayed to the left leaving a nice large gap between them. Sigyn finally decided to end the awkwardness by dimming the lights and falling into a deep peaceful sleep. Loki on the other hand, lay awake for quite some time. He envied Sigyn's ability to sleep soundly, it seemed almost every time he closed his eyes he was haunted by Thanos's nightmares. Loki looked back at Sigyn, and convinced that she was too far-gone to be woken began to run his fingers through her hair. The soft texture helped to relax him, and not long after he began the monotonous motion he fell into a dreamless sleep.


	41. A plausible rumor

Author's Note: Well I have just uploaded how many chapters? Five? Anyway, I am getting close to finishing the story...well pretty close. Congratulations to those of you who have kept with the story so far, you should be proud of yourselves since it is rather lengthy! I have some fun stuff in store for you guys so hopefully you enjoy it! (Of course I won't know if you do or not if you don't message me. Just saying.) I own nothing.

* * *

A solitary maid slipped into the bedchamber to begin preparing the room for the day. She was relieved to see that she managed to enter without waking the room's occupants, but was suddenly struck by the fact that there were two occupants. She had been told that Sigyn was the only one occupying the room.

Who was the man in the bed with her?

He certainly wasn't Thor. The maid quietly approached the bed and had to hold in a gasp as the identity of the man before her struck her.

This was Loki!

What was he doing out of prison, and why was he in bed with Sigyn?

Questions began to flood the young maids mind, and she quickly escaped from the room without completing any of her tasks. By the time Sigyn and Loki arose, gossip about the two "lovers" was already spreading through the ranks of the servants like a wildfire.


	42. Runaways

Loki was just finishing attaching his pauldron when hurried knocking on the bedroom door garnered his attention. Sigyn gave him a worried look before going to answer the door, and Loki ensured that he was out of sight when she opened it.

"You and Loki must go immediately." Freyja warned before Sigyn could offer a greeting.

"Why?" Sigyn replied in a concerned voice.

"Someone forgot to tell the maid in charge of cleaning this room not to come and perform her duties till after you had awoken. Apparently she came in while you both were sleeping, and saw Loki and you in bed together."

"What!?" Sigyn gasped. "She didn't think that we had… you know, that we were…"

Sigyn couldn't form a proper sentence, and Loki knew that this was Sigyn's worst fear come to realization.

"The maid thinks we are lovers?" Loki asked Frejya while Sigyn stammered away.

"Yes, and the news of two Asgardian lovers on the run has reached the ears of the courtiers from the servants. You don't have much time to get away before they demand a search for you. I will have to comply with their request, so I suggest hiding in the cave behind the waterfall."

"Isn't that a bit too close to the palace?" Sigyn managed to ask.

"Not if people see you sneaking off in another direction." Frejya hinted.

Both Sigyn and Loki nodded in understanding before running past Frejya. They had studied layouts of the castle the day before in hopes of finding a possible hiding place for the Infinity Gem, and knew of a secret passage under the castle that led to the cave in question. While they ran for cover, their decoys began to sneak out of the castle in the opposite direction catching the attention of a few of the servants. Once safely inside the cave they allowed their decoys to disappear.

"This is not good." Loki huffed before sitting down on a boulder.

"It could be worse." Sigyn encouraged. "Freyja could have believed the rumor and given us up to Odin."

"That wouldn't be so bad for you." Loki reasoned. "Once we explained ourselves you would be allowed to continue your search, but I would be back in a cell."

"I doubt Odin would support my plan." Sigyn pointed out.

"Then you would be sitting safe and sound in Asgard." Loki countered.

"Once Thanos makes his move, nowhere will be 'safe and sound'."

Loki didn't reply, and the couple sat in silence. It was impossible to hear any of the activity outside of the cave due to the waterfall, but Loki knew that the Vanir must be looking for them by now.

"What now?" Loki asked quietly.

"We wait." Sigyn replied.

"For what?"

"For Lady Vileitha."

"You must be jesting Sigyn, why would Lady Vileitha be looking for us?"

"Because I believe she knows that I am here, and why."

Sigyn didn't seem interested in expanding on her comment, so Loki retreated back into his own thoughts.

"I certainly hope Thor is having more luck with the AllFather than we are having here…" he muttered to no one in particular.

"We are not so bad off Loki." Sigyn reprimanded.

"Really? The entire Realm believes we are runaway lovers and is now searching for us, but we are not so bad off?"

"Would that be such a terrible thing?" Sigyn asked in an almost dejected voice.

"Would what be such a terrible thing?" Loki asked back.

"Being _my_ lover…"

Loki didn't reply at first, he was too shocked that he had seemingly hurt her feelings.

"No, but there are spies in every court. News about our new supposed relationship is going to spread quickly. Do you really want every Realm to believe that we are intimately involved?" Loki eventually responded.

Sigyn didn't reply, but she did look slightly less dejected. Loki silently wished that if Lady Vileitha was indeed going to show up, she would do it sooner rather than later. He wasn't sure how much longer he and Sigyn could stand hiding in this dark damp cave.


	43. The Avengers in Asgard

The look on the Avengers faces upon their first glimpse of Asgard was quite amusing to Thor. They seemed to all be in awe of the golden city before them just as Jane had been. Heimdall was standing at his post as ever.

"Welcome home My Prince."

"Thank you Heimdall. Does my father know I have returned?"

"I am sure that the sudden unauthorized opening of the Bifrost will have announced your arrival." Heimdall replied.

Thor nodded his head in acknowledgement, but before he could lead the Avengers and Agent Hill onto the Rainbow Bridge Heimdall stopped him.

"You should know that Forseti left for Vanaheim not long before you called to me." Heimdall informed.

"Vanaheim? Why?" Thor prodded.

"Word reached the court earlier this morning that Loki and Sigyn have fled there." Heimdall explained.

"What do you mean fled there?" Thor asked.

"You will have to ask the AllFather if you wish to know the full details." Heimdall encouraged.

"Thank you for the information Heimdall." Thor thanked before leading his guests onto the bridge.

"Forseti…" Stark began. "Is that the guy that…"

"Yes." Thor replied stiffly before Tony could finish his statement. He was in no mood to think about Forseti.

The Rainbow Bridge was rather long so the walk to the palace took longer than Thor would have liked. Aside from the occasional murmur, his companions walked behind him in silence. Curious eyes followed the strange group as they entered the castle and headed to the throne room. They were almost there when Lady Sif, Fandral, Hogun, and Volstagg came running down the hallway.

"Thor!" Sif cried before approaching her friend. "We were worried, no one knew where you had gone and Heimdall had not been able to see you. We feared the worst… where is Sigyn?" She quickly rambled out.

"I am fine, she is fine… I must speak with my father immediately then I promise to explain everything to you all."

"Shall we meet in our normal spot then?" Fandral asked.

"Yes, I am not sure how long this will take so there is no need to head there yet." Thor advised.

"We have nothing else better to do… I hate to say it, but it has been rather boring around here since the attack." Fandral lamented.

"Well that may be about to change." Thor replied before entering the throne room.

The Avengers and Agent Hill followed closely behind Thor. The golden hall captured their attentions, but the man sitting on the throne quickly became the most impressive thing in the room. None of them had ever seen Odin before, and they all silently admitted that he was fairly imposing. Thor placed his right fist over his heart and knelt before Odin. None of the Avengers really knew what to do so Steve saluted, Natasha just kind of stared, Dr. Banner looked at the floor awkwardly, Clint tried to mimic Thor, Agent Hill accomplished mimicking Thor, and Stark just meandered about the hall with his hands behind his back.

"Rise." Odin commanded.

Thor stood and waited for Odin to continue.

"Word reached me that you have been on Midgard, and the presence of your Midgardian friends would suggest those rumours to be true. I know that you are aware of Sigyn and Loki's location, and I expect you to tell me."

"They _are_ on Vanaheim," Thor replied "but I fail to see why their location is of the utmost importance. Should we not be focused on Thanos?"

"We will deal with the problem of Thanos after you answer me. Did you or did you not aid Loki and Sigyn in their escape from Midgard?"

"I did not stop them, but they were not escaping." Thor replied. "I still fail to see why you are more concerned about them than Thanos."

"Your brother…"

"He is not my brother." Thor interrupted.

Odin and the others in the room looked at Thor in surprise. Not even after Loki had tried to kill him did Thor disown Loki as his brother.

"So you have given up on him?" Odin asked.

"No, I am simply giving him what he wants." Thor replied cryptically.

There was a pause in the conversation as Odin thought over Thor's reply. After some consideration he spoke again.

"Loki is still a convicted war criminal, and fleeing from Asgardian justice will not put him in good standing with the nobles. If they call for a retrial I will be forced to consider an alternative punishment." Odin warned.

The warning caused Thor's heart to sink, he was well aware of the alternative punishment Odin was referring to. When Thor didn't respond Odin continued to speak.

"Forseti has gone to Vanaheim to retrieve the lovers…"

Stark's disbelieving laugh interrupted Odin.

"I'm sorry, did you just say lovers?" He asked. "I mean do you even know your own daughter? She's scared of a man's chest so what would posses her to take a lover!?"

Odin turned his one piercing eye on Tony. "Then you know their true reason for going to Vanaheim?"

"To look for some magic weapon to help defeat Thanos." Stark replied unhelpfully before heading to a window. "This is a great view by the way, I should really get myself a building like this…"

Odin looked to Thor for confirmation, which the Prince gave with a nod of his head. Odin let the topic of Sigyn and Loki go for a moment, and began to question Thor as to why he had come bringing the Avengers in tow.

"I seek permission to lead our forces, with the help of the Avengers, against Thanos should he strike again." Thor explained. "His army destroyed a large portion of Alfheim, and there is no telling what he will be able to do if the Dark Elves and the Fire Giants join him."

Odin contemplated his request for a moment before replying.

"I will consider your request Thor Odinson, in the meantime you and your friends will remain in the palace where I can keep an eye on you."

Thor bowed to his father before leading the group out of the hall.

"Why didn't you tell Odin what Sigyn and Loki are looking for?" Agent Hill asked once they had walked some distance from the throne room.

"Because Odin would send someone after them." Thor replied. "He would not approve of Sigyn's plan due to the danger it will put her in."

"But he could tell us where the Gems are." Agent Hill reasoned.

"No, he could tell us who he entrusted them to. I doubt my father knows the Gems exact locations now that they are in the possession of others."

The group reached a pair of giant wooden doors that Thor pushed open with ease. The doors revealed a sitting room with large couches encircling a blazing fire pit. The Warrior's Three and Lady Sif were already in the room waiting for them.

"How did your audience with the AllFather go?" Sif asked.

"As well as could be expected I suppose." Thor replied. "Lady Sif, Fandral, Hogun, and Volstagg these are the Avengers."

"Ahhh yes, the Midgardians that helped you defeat Loki on Midgard." Fandral noted.

"The same." Thor confirmed.

"So you promised to tell us everything…" Hogun reminded Thor.

Thor invited his friends to sit, and he gave a quick overview of what had happened from Sigyn's visit to Loki's cell up till his arrival in Asgard with the Avengers. The Warrior's Three were especially interested in hearing the details of the battle on Alfheim so Thor retold the events in more detail with the other Avengers interjecting their own stories along the way. Not long after the tale was finished a servant came to fetch the group for dinner. Odin was not present for the meal, and Thor was somewhat grateful. He wasn't sure he was ready to have his father's penetrating gaze trained on him any more this evening. The conversation naturally drifted to stories of battle. Lady Sif talked eagerly with Natasha and Agent Hill about female warriors on Midgard, and the men swapped stories of their own.

"What were the odds do you think Hogun, 15 to 1?" Fandral asked during the middle of his story.

"I would say it was closer to 10 to 1." Hogun corrected.

"Now that can't be right… well as it were, the battle was looking pretty bleak, but Thor managed to fight his way through nearly five-hundred warriors…"

"Do not exaggerate Fandral." Thor scolded with a smile. "It was only a hundred."

"Very well, he fought his way through a hundred warriors and pulled us all out alive." Fandral finished with a raise of his glass. "To Nornheim!" He cheered before downing his drink.

Thor's smile fell. "Nornheim…"

The conversation at the table died down at Thor's sudden melancholy.

"We never would have gotten out of there if Loki hadn't availed us in smoke to make our escape…" He mused.

"Yes, but as you always say 'some do battle, others just do tricks'." Fandral quoted.

"It was more than just tricks!" Thor suddenly boomed. "It was his talent…"

Guilt was plainly etched on Thor's features and Fandral sent the Prince an apologetic look.

"I meant no offense, it was merely a jest." He apologized.

"It is not your fault. I am the one who should be sorry. What kind of brother says that to his sibling?" Thor apologized in return.

Stark, who had been uncharacteristically quiet throughout dinner, finally asked the question that had been on several people's minds.

"Odin mentioned an alternate form of punishment for Loki, what is it?"

"Death." Thor answered. "Forseti is the representative of the Asgardian nobles when it comes to the justice system. While the final decision rests with the AllFather, Forseti and a few other select officials have some say in the matter. When I first brought Loki back from Midgard Forseti and the nobles called for his immediate execution, but my mother and Odin would not stand for it. Odin determined that Loki would be imprisoned indefinitely instead. If it is proven that Loki is now fleeing from Asgardian justice then the nobles will try to classify him as a criminal too unstable to place into prison again. Odin will have no other option but to execute him."

"But Loki is working with us this time." Steve pointed out.

"We know that, but Forseti has an extreme dislike of Loki. He will try everything in his power to make Loki look as guilty as possible." Thor explained.

"As if that guy has any right to punish other people's crimes." Stark fumed.

"A common dislike for Forseti is one of the few things that Loki and I have in common." Sif agreed.

The Warrior's Three, Clint, Steve, Natasha, and Agent Hill were unaware of Sigyn's rape, and were therefore quite confused by the sudden animosity found at the table.

Thor ate little of the final course that was brought out. The idea of Loki being executed, especially now that he seemed to be making progress, caused him to lose his appetite. After dinner was complete it was determined that the Avengers would meet for breakfast early so they could begin training with Lady Sif and the Warrior's Three. Thor then showed the Avengers and Agent Hill to their own bedrooms. That task complete, Thor meandered through the corridors of the palace. They were fairly empty aside from the occasional servant. Without thinking, Thor found himself standing outside of Loki's chambers. He had not been in them since his own banishment to Midgard. Cautiously he opened the door and stepped inside the cold room. The room was neat, just as Loki had always kept it. Three bookshelves lined one wall, and each was filled to the brim with well-loved leather tomes. Thor never understood why Loki spent so much of his time in the library when he practically had a library of his own in his room. Thor then approached Loki's work desk. He couldn't identify any of the objects sitting on it, but simply assumed that they were used in Loki's magical training. Out of curiosity he opened the drawer to the desk and came across a leather journal of sorts. In respect for Loki's privacy he placed the journal on the desk without reading it, but accidentally knocked over a strange metal object that had been sitting there. Thor quickly picked the metal box up and turned it over in his hands before opening it. To his surprise, there was a small portraiture inside that Thor had completely forgotten about. Frigga had forced her three young children to pose for it…

_"Thor you must sit still!" Frigga scolded._

_Thor ignored Frigga's request, and began to fidget with his clothing. He was thankful that she hadn't forced him to wear his formal clothes, but the outfit he was currently in was still too hot and restrictive. He could be out playing with his friends in the field, but no his mother just had to have a portrait of her three children. _

_"Why does Sigyn get to sit on the bench while Loki and I sit on the ground?" Thor pouted with a frown. _

_"Because Sigyn is a young Lady, and a Lady does not sit on the ground in a dress." Frigga remarked while slicking Loki's hair back one more time. _

_Thor looked at Sigyn. She was wearing a robin's egg blue dress with a crown of pink, yellow, and white flowers that she had made, and had insisted on wearing. After quite a bit of arguing Frigga had given in, and now Sigyn was happily perched on the bench with a bright smile on her face. Thor rolled his eyes; she seemed to be the only one happy to be there._

_"Is your outfit as uncomfortable as mine?" Thor whispered to Loki before tugging at his collar again._

_"Probably, but at least she didn't make us wear matching clothing." Loki consoled._

Yep, those were some of the most boring three hours of Thor's life, and it showed in the small painting. Sigyn was smiling her half-smile, Loki looked indifferent, and Thor looked flat-out irked. Whoever the painter had been had really captured their personalities. Thor thought about placing the painting back on Loki's desk, but decided that his adopted brother probably wouldn't care if he took it. Thor spent a few more quite moments in Loki's room before finally heading to his own chambers to get some much-needed sleep.


	44. Passing the time

The sound of the waterfall was causing Sigyn to get drowsy, but she was far too restless to sleep. She and Loki had been sitting silently in the cave for hours, and Lady Vileitha had yet to make an apperance. Perhaps Loki had been right after all. Lady Vileitha might never come. Sigyn considered sending a double to check and see if the seach for them had completed yet, but decided not to. If the search had ended and someone spotted her double, the hunt would be renewed once again. Right now the best option that she and Loki had was to wait till dark, if Lady Vileitha had not revealed herself to them by then they would begin the hunt for her.

Loki was used to sitting for long periods of time. While in confinement there hadn't been much else for him to do besides sit or pace his tiny cell. Sigyn on the other hand, was becoming restless. She was so peculiar. At tmes she could stay perfectly still in the library for hours on end, but other times she couldn't stand being inactive for even five minutes. This appeared to be one of the latter times. Unable to stay put any longer, Sigyn began to pace around the cave.

"Patience Sigyn." Loki advised.

"We do not have time to be sitting around. Now is the time for action, and we are stuck hiding in a cave!" she vented.

Loki allowed her to take out her frustration by pacing, and he leaned his head against the wall to watch. Tension was easy to detect in Sigyn's movements. She was like a tightly coiled spring that could snap at any moment. Her readiness to act was a good thing, but her anxiety was going to give her an early death if she wasn't careful. Loki needed to get her to relax, and a sudden idea struck him. He stood from his boulder and approached her.

"Shall we?" He asked while offering her his hand.

Sigyn look at him with skeptisim. "Is now really the time for that?"

"We have nothing better to do." He pointed out.

Sigyn relented and placed her hand in his. Loki wrapped his long fingers around Sigyn's delicate hand and placed his other hand on her waist. Sigyn placed her hand on his shoulder, and as she hummed a random song Loki began to lead them slowly around the cave.

"So shall I continue guessing?" Loki asked.

"If you feel so inclined, be my guest." Sigyn offered.

Loki looked up in thought for a moment and Sigyn continued her humming.

"Fandral?"

"Loki I believe you have guessed him a hundred times, and the answer has always been the same. No, it is not Fandral."

Sigyn went back to humming, and Loki racked his brain for someone that he had yet to guess.

"Hoenir?" Loki tried.

Sigyn shook her head. "He is far too indecisive." She explained.

"Tyr?"

"You have guessed him before."

"Bragi?"

"He is married Loki." Sigyn reminded him.

"Ah so this man _is_ an eligible marriage candidate?"

"Of course he is. Did you really believe I would allow myself to fall in love with a married man?"

Loki smiled. "You would not have been the first person to do so."

Sigyn wrinkled her nose. "I am not sure I even want to know how you know that."

Loki smirked "What about Vidar?"

"If you are simply going to guess names then I am not going to tell you." Sigyn replied. "You must logically come to a conclusion."

"Very well, let us look over what I know then. He is a man that I should kow, he is not married, and he is not any of the men I have already listed… that is not much to go on Sigyn. Perhaps you could provide me with a few more clues?"

Sigyn thought about Loki's request. Was it safe to play this game with Loki? She would be giving him clues about himself, but surely he would never imagine that she would go along with it if the answer were him… Maybe this is just what she needed to do to lead him even further from the truth.

"That seems like a fair suggestion." Sigyn finally relented. "You may ask me a few questions about him, and I will answer them if I can."

Loki spun Sigyn before asking his first question.

"Is he handsome?"

"I obviously think so."

"Would other women define him as handsome?"

"Indeed, I am sure there are other women who would find him attractive."

"Is he older or younger than you?"

"Older."

"What of his personality? Please do not tell me that he is priggish…"

Sigyn laughed. "You certainly do not need to worry yourself about that."

Loki smirked as fits of giggles racked Sigyn's body. "So he is a devilish rouge?"

"In comparison to me, yes." Sigyn managed to get out between her titters.

Loki ran through some possible bachelors in his mind, but none fit the entire description Sigyn had given.

_"If I didn't know better I would say that her description fit… no that couldn't be possible."_ He thought to himself, and he suddenly hoped that Sigyn wasn't using the Mind Gem to read his thoughts. He checked her markings, but they were their normal white shade.

"Is something the matter Loki?" Sigyn asked, obviously concerned.

"No, everything is well." He quickly covered. "Why do you ask?"

"Because we've stopped dancing, and you are standing on my foot." She pointed out.

Loki looked down and lo and behold he was indeed crushing Sigyn's small foot.

"Sorry." He quickly apologized as he released her foot from his crushing weight.

"It is fine, I was simply worried about you. It is not like you to get such a distant look in your eye." Sigyn mused.

Loki thought that he saw something akin to hopefulness in her stare, but hopefulness of what? Surely she wasn't hoping he had figured out her closely guarded secret. Maybe he was right. Maybe all along the answer had been in front of him, had been hi…

Loki caught himself _"No, that would simply be wishful thinking."_

Wait…wishful thinking? Sure he had given up the pretense of not caring for Sigyn, but wishing for her to have _feelings_ for him? Wasn't that pushing it just a little? Even more troublesome was that if he wanted her to have feelings for him what did that say about his feelings for her?

Sigyn clearing her throat brought Loki back to his senses once again.

"Are you sure you are all right?" She asked a second time.

"I am fine Sigyn."

"Don't lie to me Loki, you are not fine. What is wrong? You can tell me."

"Nothing is wrong." Loki assured her.

It wasn't a lie, nothing _was_ wrong. In fact, Loki's instinct told him that something might actually be going right. He almost wanted to guess his own name to see what Sigyn would say. Sigyn gazed up at him with concern still lingering in her eyes, but he knew that she knew he was telling the truth.

"I trust you Loki. Maybe that makes me a fool, but I do."

Sigyn gazed over Loki's shoulder to the waterfall that was crashing behind him. The evening stars were beginning to peak through the clouds, and a sudden pull on her mind told her that someone was approaching.

"She's coming…" Sigyn whispered in an excited tone.

She hastily grabbed Loki's hand and pulled him behind her to the waterfall. Sure enough, a female figure was making her way slowly towards them.


	45. A strange encounter

"Sigyn Sylvathdóttir, the enchantress, and Loki Odinson, the sorcerer." Lady Vileitha remarked upon entering the pair's grotto. "I apologize for my tardiness, it was not safe for me to search you out while Forseti was leading his hunt for you."

"Forseti!?" Sigyn exclaimed. "Word has already reached Asgard of our location?"

"Indeed, and the man in question seems determined to take you both back to Asgard in chains." She replied.

"I understand his wish to incarcerate me once again," Loki interjected, "but why Sigyn?"

"She is assisting you. Aiding a fugitive war criminal is apparently a serious crime on Asgard." Vileitha explained.

Sigyn, not willing to waste any more time, went straight to the point of their visit to Vanaheim.

"You know why I am here Lady Vileitha." She stated simply.

The Lady, who appeared to be around Freyja's age, nodded her head and procured an orange gem. Sigyn found it to be fitting that she had been entrusted with the Time Gem.

"Do you always carry it on your person unprotected?" Loki asked.

"Yes." Was her simple reply.

"What would possess you to do that!?" He asked in shock.

"My gift is foresight, not magic. Besides, I knew that Sigyn would come to protect it."

Sigyn smiled and took the Time Gem from Lady Vileitha. She could feel the Mind Gem that was hidden in Frigga's ring begin to radiate more power. The ring was now worn on a chain around her neck, hidden beneath her dress, so that the markings it caused to glow were concealed. Sigyn began the process of placing enchantments on the orange gem in her hand. As she worked, her markings began to glow casting a faint light through the otherwise dark cave.

Her first step was to bind the gem to Vileitha in such a way that any other who tried to posses it without her consent would be cursed. The only down side to this particular spell was that it broke if Vileitha was killed. Fortunately, Sigyn didn't believe that would happen any time soon due to Vileitha's gift of foresight. As a precaution however, Sigyn also placed an invisibility spell over the gem. A good magician would be able to trace the power of the spell and break it, but it couldn't hurt to have it in place anyway. Once she was finished she took Vileitha's hand and carefully placed the now invisible gem in it.

"Keep it on you always." Sigyn warned. "Let no one else even touch it."

"The gem will be safe." Lady Vileitha assured. "You will go to Nidavellir next."

"Well we had not discussed it…" Sigyn began, but she was interrupted by Lady Vileitha.

"You will go to Nidavellir next." She stated calmly. "Rest here tonight, Forseti will not find you."

Lady Vileitha walked to the opening of the cave, but stopped just before leaving.

"Sigyn, when the time comes do not be afraid to make the sacrifice that only you can make."

Sigyn gave Loki a confused look, but didn't have time to respond before Lady Vileitha spoke again.

"Loki, be Sigyn's eyes when she cannot see."

With that cryptic farewell Lady Vileitha was gone.

Loki and Sigyn stood contemplating her words, but neither could make any sense of them. Whatever Lady Vileitha had meant was not their main concern at the moment. Nidavellir was their next destination, and should be the focus of their thoughts. Sigyn created a fire for her and Loki to sit by as he told her about the Dwarves. Throughout the centuries Loki had had a considerable amount of interaction with them, and his stories of the Dwarves and their cities held Sigyn as a captive audience till late in the evening. When it came time to get some sleep it struck Sigyn as ironic that two of the most powerful magicians in the Nine Realms couldn't conjur at least a cot for themselves to sleep on. Some physical things like food, water, and large objects were impossible to create through magic. A few small objects, like a pillow, could be conjured and they could change their clothing some, but even that was merely an illusion. Sigyn placed a protective barrier around their fire so that neither of them accidentally rolled into it while they slept, and then she curled up on the ground to attempt sleeping. There was no doubt in her mind that it was going to be a long night…


	46. A little sparring never killed nobody

Author's Note: I had originally only intended to post one chapter today, but then I forgot to put an Author's Note in the last one. I just felt that I should apologize for any errors in spelling or grammar that you come across. I read and reread a billion times before I post, but things still slip by me. I can only assume that the mistakes are bearable since no one has complained about them. Well that is all I wanted to say! I own nothing.

* * *

Thor couldn't fall asleep when he first lay down. He knew that if Sigyn and Loki were captured and brought back to Asgard someone would come and inform him, but every time he seemed about to drift off, images of Forseti dragging Loki and Sigyn to a cell invaded his mind. Sleep did eventually come, and he did not stir till the morning sun shone through his window.

He was relieved upon entering the dining hall to see that Agent Hill and all of the Avengers, aside from Tony, were already there.

"Good morning." Thor greeted. "I trust you all slept well."

All those present affirmed that they had except for Steve. Thor took the seat next to the captain and grabbed a breakfast roll.

"What troubles you my friend?" He queried.

"I always worry about my friends when they could be in danger." Steve admitted.

"I worry for Sigyn and Loki also, but it seems to me that there is more on your mind." Thor replied.

"It's just that we were so focused on the threat that Thanos posed to Sigyn that we didn't consider that there could be other threats closer to home."

"Forseti is clever, but not as clever as Sigyn or Loki. Fret not Captain Rogers, I have not doubt that they are still free from Forseti's grasp."

"How can you be so sure?" Steve asked.

"Because if they were not, Forseti would have already brought them back."

Steve sighed and and grabbed a random piece of fruit. "You're right of course, so when do we begin training?"

"Once everyone has finished their breakfast and Tony arrives."

Dr. Banner, who had caught the last bit Thor had said, spoke up. "I wouldn't bother waiting on him."

"Why not?" Thor asked.

"Because we'll be sitting here all day if we do." Steve explained.

"Well then let us go round up Lady Sif and the Warrior's Three." Thor suggested.

Those present quickly agreed. It didn't take long to find Thor's four Asgardian friends and make their way to the training grounds. Natasha, Agent Hill, and Sif walked a little ways off from the boys to do some warming up. Dr. Banner politely excused himself from any training and went to sit off to the side. Clint automatically went for his bow and Hogun joined him for some shooting. Steve, Thor, Volstagg, and Fandral warmed up with some light sparring. The group was almost warmed up when Tony waltzed into the training area.

"My friend Stark, I am glad you found us!" Thor welcomed.

"Yea, it wasn't that hard. All I had to do was follow the sound of your thunderous voice." Tony replied before sitting next to Bruce.

"Are you not going to join us?" Thor asked.

"Nah that sounds like too much effort, not to mention the view is better from here." Stark stated while throwing a debonair look towards the ladies over the top of his sunglasses.

"Wonderful, now we have two Fandral's." Lady Sif murmured.

"He is teasing." Natasha assured her. "He has a girlfriend back at home."

"That would not stop Fandral." Lady Sif replied with a smile.

"Come now let us have some fights!" Volstagg urged.

"That sounds fun." Natasha agreed.

"Very well, Hogun, Clint come join us so I can explain the rules to our newcomers!" Thor yelled over to the two archers.

Hogun and Clint jogged back over to the rest of the group and Thor began his explanation.

"The rules are simple." He started. "Each match will be one on one, the winner moves on and the loser is eliminated. Since there are an odd number of us one of the Ladies will receive a bye for the first set of matches. Your goal is to force your opponent to tap out, but if that is not possible a knock out is acceptable. Oh, and the combat is strictly hand to hand, no weapons of any kind may be used."

Colored stones were then placed in a black bag, and each participant had to draw one. Clint and Fandral drew red, Thor and Lady Sif drew black, Agent Hill and Volstagg drew purple, Steve and Hogun drew blue, and Natasha drew a white one wich symbolized the bye.

"Brilliant!" Thor said excitedly. "Clint and Fandral shall go first." He declared.

The two men took center stage while everyone else went to sit by Tony and Bruce.

Clint studied the man in front of him, and began to seriously miss his bow. Sure he could fight hand to hand well enough, but nothing beat the feeling of a bowstring pulled between his fingers. Thor yelled for the match to begin and Clint immediately caught a telegraph for Fandral's first move. Clint sidestepped Fandral's attack and quickly countered. The guy was fast, just not fast enough for Clint's eyesight. After landing a couple of solid shots however, Clint realized a serious problem. He seemed to take more damage from hitting Fandral than Fandral did from being hit. That is when Clint recalled what Dr. Banner had said about Sigyn's skin being so dense it bent the needle. Without a specialized arrow Clint wasn't even going to scratch this guy.

"New plan." He thought hastily to himself.

Instead of going for a knock out, Clint opted to try for a tap out. He was a pretty advanced ground fighter so getting Fandral in an arm-bar shouldn't be too tough of a task. Clint began to side step Fandral's attacks, and instead of countering he began to use Fandral's own momentum to throw him off-balance. After a couple of attempts, Clint was successfully able to throw Fandral off-balance so badly that he went down. Clint took the opportunity to pin Fandral in a side mount, and then worm his way behind him so that he could position himself in a back mount and place Fandral in a rear naked choke.

Fandral struggled to break the choke, but was unsuccessful. In order to avoid blacking out, Fandral was forced to tap out. Clint quickly released his opponent and they both shook hands before taking seats with the others.

"I believe we are up next Lady Sif." Thor stated excitedly.

"Wonderful…" Sif replied with sarcasm and a smile.

There was no doubt that Sif was the more nimble of the two, but Thor was by no means slow and had a distinct advantage in both size and power. The Lady put up a valiant fight and managed to put herself in a winning position a couple of times, but in the end Thor was the victor. Ever chivalrous, Thor assisted Lady Sif to her feet after the match was over.

"You know I will never improve if you always hold back against me." Sif rebuked.

Thor gave her a sheepish smile, but did not reply.

Volstagg and Agent Hill were the next pair to fight. Like Sif, Agent Hill had the distinct advantage of speed, but unlike Lady Sif she did not have the advantage of being an Asgardian that could take heavy blows. She spent most of the match trying to avoid Volstagg's attacks. Give her a gun and the match would have been over quickly, but with no weapon Agent Hill was doomed to lose.

That left only one match in the first round, Steve and Hogun. Of all the four matches, this was easily the most intense. Both Hogun and Steve were great warrior's with similar abilities. They each had good hand eye coordination, feet speed, and instincts. The playing field was also more level due to Steve's superhuman characteristics. He was stronger than the average human, and could actually do some damage to his Asgardian opponent. Steve was also an advanced strategist, and he made sure to use that to his advantage. The fight went from standing, to the ground, and back to standing multiple times. Cheers from all of the spectators spurred the two on. As the match went on and on Hogun was struck by Steve's stamina. He had expected the Midgardian to tire rather quickly. Captain America was quickly earning the respect of his new Asgardian companions, and he finally sealed their admiration with a knockout punch to Hogun's temple. No sooner had Hogun hit the ground did Dr. Banner jump up to his aid. Thor went to grab some water, and Steve helped to prop him up. By the time Thor returned Hogun was already coming around and was able to drink the water with no assistance.

"That was an invigorating match." He stated after draining his cup.

"Sure was." Steve agreed.

Steve and Bruce helped Hogun to stand and the trio made their way to sit down. Thor gathered Natasha and those that had won their matches to draw for their second round opponent. Natasha and Volstagg drew red, Clint and Steve drew black, and Thor drew the white stone. To allow Steve some time to rest Natasha and Volstagg offered to go first.

Before they began, Natasha analyzed her opponent. She was at the same disadvantages that Agent Hill had been at, but she did have more information about Volstagg's fighting style. She determined that her best strategy would be to tire him out and then take him down. Surprisingly her strategy worked well. Natasha was able to maneuver out of harms way with less effort than Agent Hill had, and Volstagg slowly but surely lost steam while trying to catch hold of her. The more tired he became the lazier his attacks grew, and this gave Natasha the chance to deflect a punch, jump up and over his arm, and onto his neck. Normally this was the moment when she would use her continued momentum to twist her body and bring her opponent down, but when she made the move nothing happened. Volstagg was simply too heavy for her to take down that way, and now she was stuck on his shoulders. The Asgardian was about to throw her off so she hastily used both of her hands to chop at the pressure points in his neck. A move like that would easily knock out a human opponent like Clint or Steve, but Volstagg's denser skin protected him. While it didn't knock him out, it did cause him to stumble. In the time it took for him to regain his balance Natasha was able to get him into a headlock. She wrapped her legs around Volstagg's rather large girth to stabilize herself, and then began to lift her shoulders. This motion not only tightened the hold that she had, but also placed more pressure on the already sensitive pressure points on Volstagg's neck. Volstagg tried in vain to get Natasha off of him, and was forced to tap out from the lack of oxygen.

Steve and Clint jumped into the ring for their match. While it was an entertaining matchup, Steve was ultimately named the victor after Clint had the misfortune of getting himself trapped in an arm bar. Having a unusally high tolerance for pain, Clint had refused to tap out. Even if Steve had broken his arm, he probably would have kept going. Steve on the other hand, had no desire to actually hurt his companion. In the end Thor was forced to step in before Clint's stubbornness got him his arm broken, which would be a very bad thing for the team. Their master archer with a broken arm would be considered a slight problem for the Avengers. When Natasha scolded him about it Clint just shrugged.

"I bet the Asgardian doctors could have healed it in no time." He argued.

It was now time for the final matchup, Thor versus Steve. Unbeknownst to the group, Odin was watching from a window in his study. The group of Midgardian's had impressed him. They showed skill, passion, and a toughness that Odin had not quite expected to see in simple sparring drills. As he watched his eldest face-off against Captain Rogers he couldn't help but wonder if perhaps Thor was justified in his call to arms. He had grown in leaps and bounds since his banishment to Earth, and Odin was beginning to see the true future ruler of Asgard shining through. The time for him to take the throne was quickly approaching, Odinsleep or not. Perhaps giving Thor the opportunity to lead the armies of Asgard as a countermeasure to Thanos was the last test he needed to prove his readiness. The two blondes went round and around the ring and Odin smiled. He would grant Thor's request.

Almost as soon as Odin came to his decision the Bifrost opened. Forseti had returned.


	47. Giving Loki what he wants

The moment the blue light from the Bifrost shot open, Steve and Thor stopped their fighting.

"Forseti has returned." Thor stated. "I am afraid we shall have to finish this match another time Captain."

"That won't be necessary," Steve replied "I think we both know who was going to come out on top."

"Do you think he has Sigyn and Loki?" Barton asked.

"There is only one way to know for certain…" Thor responded before heading back into the palace.

The entire group was close on his heels. He headed straight for the throne room despite his rather hot and sweaty state. He would worry about his hygiene once he knew of Sigyn and Loki's fate. The Avengers, Agent Hill, Lady Sif, and the Warriors Three arrived in the throne room before Forseti, but Odin was already sitting on his throne. Everyone present bowed to the king of Asgard.

"I see that you also wish to know of Sigyn and Loki." Odin greeted.

"Indeed father." Thor answered.

Odin waved Thor to his side, and while he ascended the steps Lady Sif and the Warriors Three led the Avengers to stand-off to the side at the foot of the stairs. The entire ensemble waited in silence for what felt like hours before footsteps and voices could be heard coming down the hall. The golden doors swung open and Forseti and his entourage entered the throne room without Sigyn or Loki in hand. Thor breathed a silent sigh of relief.

Forseti and his companions kneeled before the AllFather and placed their right fists over their hearts.

"I presume you were unsuccessful in your search for the two runaways." Odin stated.

"Yes, my King. The Vanir have promised to continue their search for them, but I believe they are long ago fled from Vanaheim." Forseti stated before rising to his feet.

"What leads you to believe that?" Thor asked suddenly.

"Prince Thor," Forseti addressed in surprise with a slight bow "I see you have returned."

"I have." Thor coldly replied.

"In answer to your question, we scoured every area they could have hidden in and there was not even a trace of them. It was as if they had vanished into thin air." Forseti explained.

"Do you bring any word from Freyja?" Odin asked curiously.

"She simply sends her well wishes." Forseti replied.

Odin dismissed Forseti, and turned to Thor.

"Do you know where they have gone?"

"No, I do not know." Thor honestly replied.

Odin could see that Thor was telling the truth, and dismissed him as well

After Thor and his friends left the throne room Natasha spoke up.

"I'm starting to wonder who the real 'god of lies' is." She remarked.

Thor smiled knowingly. "I did not lie." He defended. "I do not know where they are headed. I have an idea as to their whereabouts, but an idea and knowing are not the same thing."

Volstagg declared that the midday meal was long overdue so the group decided to clean up and meet for lunch. Thor wasted no time slipping into his tub upon reaching his room. The hot water relaxed his fatigued muscles. He wasn't normally one to contemplate things that were out of his control, but as he rinsed the soap out of his hair he couldn't help but wonder how Sigyn and Loki were faring. They had somehow managed to dodge Forseti, but at what cost. Had they been able to find and protect the Infinity Gem or not? unfortunately there was no way for him to know without Sigyn contacting him.

Thor jumped out of the tub and rubbed a towel through his hair before wrapping it around his waist. He didn't spend much time picking out a set of clean clothes, and he was just about to pull his shirt over his head when a knock came at hs door.

"Come in." He invited before slipping his shirt on.

The door opened and Odin stepped into the room.

"Father?" Thor greeted a bit surprised.

It wasn't often that Odin came to his chambers to talk.

"I have been thinking about your request." Odin began.

"And?"

"I will allow you to lead the Asgardian forces against Thanos should he strike again."

"Thank you Father, I…"

Odin raised his hand to stop Thor from continuing.

"I am only authorizing your command for counterattacks. You will not use our armies to hunt Thanos down."

"I understand Father." Thor agreed.

"Very well, you and the Avengers will begin training our men tomorrow."

Thor smiled and Odin turned to leave, but before he walked out of the door he paused.

"What did you mean yesterday when you said you were giving Loki what he wanted?" Odin asked.

"I am not completely sure." Thor admitted. "He seems determined to distance himself from our family so maybe if I give him that distance he will realize that it is not really what he wants after all."

"Perhaps you are correct." Odin sighed.

He shot Thor a smile and left his room. Odin had few regrets in his life, but the way he had handled Loki was one of them. Maybe Thor was right, maybe stepping away from the situation was the best thing Odin and he could do.

Thor deliverd the news of Odin's permission to train and lead the Asgardian army to the Avengers, Lady Sif, and the Warriors Three at lunch. Agent Hill decided that she would stay a day to watch the beginning of the training before going back to report to Fury. The group spent the rest of the day planning a training regimen to get the Asgardian soldiers in shape for fighting Thanos's army.


	48. Temptation

Loki was sleepily stretching out when his foot bumped into something, or in this case someone. Sigyn let out a little moan when his foot made contact with hers, and he glanced across the fire at her. A small unconscious smile played at her lips as she began to rouse, and Loki's unsettling thoughts from the evening before began to replay in his mind. A part of him had hoped that his enchantment with her had simply been the ambiance of the moonlit waterfall, or that his lack of interaction with females over the past couple of years was just catching up to him. As Sigyn was groggily waking up however, he realized that he couldn't blame her charm over him to either of those excuses. Even with her hair a mess and makeup smeared, Sigyn was still cute. She looked so young and relaxed like this, and Loki liked that. It made him feel like he had something to protect and take care of. Sigyn covered her face with her arms in an attempt to block the sunlight that was now streaming into the cave from her sensitive eyes.

"Sleep well?" Loki asked.

"Dreadful. You?" She queried back.

"I would have preferred the bed in my cell." He admitted playfully.

"Me too…" Sigyn replied without thinking.

Loki smirked. "Anxious to share my bed again are we?"

Sigyn threw him a confused look before the realization of what she had said hit her.

"That was not my intended meaning!" She replied between embarrassed giggles. "I simply meant that I would rather have slept in my own bed."

Loki stood up. "Yes, that may have been what you meant, but it is most certainly not what you said." He replied.

Sigyn also stood and released the spell that was keeping the fire burning.

"We better be going. The sooner we can get to Nidavellir and conduct our business there, the better." She stated.

"I agree, but you are not going like that." He replied while giving her a quick head to foot scan.

"How bad is it?" She asked.

"See for yourself." He offered while using a reflecting spell to show Sigyn her image.

Sigyn sighed. "I suppose I do look a tad mangy, though I wouldn't classify you as well put together either." She pointed out.

"I suggest a shower under the waterfall then."

Sigyn gave him a disbelieving stare.

"There is no way in Odin's name that I am going to take a shower under the waterfall with you!" She protested.

Loki put his hands up in defense. "I didn't say you had to take one with _me_. You are more than welcome to take it by yourself, then I shall go after you."

Sigyn still looked a bit uncomfortable with the idea, but she finally relented under a few conditions.

"You must look the other way… and your eyes must be closed!"

"If I am looking in the other direction must I really close my eyes?"

"Yes, because you might… you might see me out of your peripheral vision." Sigyn argued.

"Very well," Loki surrendered "but you must do the same for me." He pointed out.

"Of course, now turn around." She commanded.

Loki wanted to chuckle as he turned around, but he thought it might earn him a scolding. Sigyn made no movement at first, and Loki assumed she was staring him down to ensure he kept up his end of the bargain. Finally after a couple of minutes he could hear Sigyn disrobing and the soft patter of her feet as she made her way closer to the waterfall. The roar of the waterfall blocked out any other sounds she might be making once she began taking her shower. Loki sat with his eyes closed just as he had promised. After waiting for about fifteen minutes he began to fidget. A small rebellious part of him really wanted to turn around to catch just a glimpse of Sigyn bathing. He silently scolded himself for such a desire, but he figured that would be any male's natural reaction to being in such close proximity to a nude woman. To keep himself focused on other thoughts, Loki began to run through the events of last evenings encounter with Lady Vileitha in his mind.

Sigyn had been wary of taking a shower in Loki's presence, but finally mustered up the courage to slip out of her dress and undergarments. She practically sprinted as quickly as her legs would carry her to the waterfall. She knew that being under its refreshing waters would do nothing to hide her nakedness should Loki chose to go back on his word, but it at least gave her some sense of security. She washed off as quickly as she felt was humanly possible. Once she was finished she put her undergarments back on, created a new yellow dress, and braided her hair. Sigyn then approached Loki and tapped him on the shoulder.

"Is it safe to look now?" He queried.

"Yes." She replied.

Loki stood up and turned around.

"Your turn to close your eyes." He admonished, and Sigyn quickly complied by sitting facing the opposite direction and closing her eyes.

Loki walked towards the waterfall while unfastening all of the little bits and pieces of leather and armour he was wearing. He inwardly lamented that this outfit took forever to get on and off. As he started shedding layers of clothing he suddenly became paranoid that Sigyn might be looking. Every so often he would turn his head in her direction just to make sure she wasn't peeking. In his mind he knew that the idea of Sigyn peeping on him while showering was ridiculous, but he was nervous all the same. He finally managed to get all of his clothing off and stepped under the pounding waterfall.

Sigyn sat nervously at the other end of the cave. She hadn't been all that worried about what would happen while Loki was taking a shower, but as she heard his clothing hitting the floor of the cave she began to have second thoughts. She was sitting in the same space as a naked man, and not just any naked man no, no, no, this was Loki. In all honesty Sigyn had lied to Stark when she said she had never seen a man's chest before, as a healer she most certainly had. In fact, she had seen much more than a man's chest, but that was different. That was professional. At the time she saw them they were in dire need of her medical attention so her training just took over. This was entirely different. Loki was casually showering at the opposite end of their little cavern. There was no dire need for her to be in his presence so why in the Nine Realms did she want to look… wait… she wanted to look? Not run? Not hide away or pluck her eyes out? What was happening to her!? When did she become so corrupt and indecent? Sigyn could feel her cheeks burning in embarrassment. She was actually curious about what Loki looked like when he wasn't fully clothed. Was he toned? She certainly hoped he wasn't too bulky. Even as the thoughts ran freely through her mind she tried to remind herself that it didn't matter what Loki looked like underneath all of his armour. She was never going to see him that way unless he was stretched out on a hospital bed needing her attention as a healer. She would never get to have the type of relationship she truly wanted with him, and had resigned herself to that fact centuries ago.

Loki took his time fastening the last bits of his armour on after he had completed his shower. He fastened his pauldron on, and decided he would have Sigyn help him with his vambraces.

"Sigyn I could use your help." He requested.

Sigyn jumped up from the ground and came over.

"With what?" she asked.

Instead of replying he simply held out his right hand out.

"Honestly Loki? Can you not do that yourself?"

"I could, but it would be faster for you to put it on while I finish securing my pauldron." He noted.

Sigyn gave him the "I am not your mother" look, but began fastening the vambrace on all the same. As she fastened it on his right arm, Loki ensured that his Pauldron was secure with his left. He thanked her after she finished and then quickly strapped the left one on.

"Are you ready?" She asked.

"If you are." He replied.

Sigyn nodded and opened the portal to Nidavellir.


	49. Ivaldi's Halls

Nidavellir was more akin to a labyrinth of underground grand halls and large squares for trading than a well laid out city. The Dwarves were considered the best craftsmen in the Nine Realms, so Nidavellir was naturally a hub for trade. Inhabitants from almost every Realm, save Midgard and Niflheim, could be found in the grand markets and bazaars of the Dwarves. Keeping this in mind, Sigyn concentrated on opening the portal in a more remote passage. While both Sigyn and Loki cloaked themselves from prying eyes, that couldn't stop people from bumping into them. It also meant that they had to hold hands the entire way to Ivaldi's hall since they couldn't see each other either. Upon arrival Loki immediately grabbed Sigyn's hand tightly, and they made themselves invisible. It was up to Loki to navigate them through the winding tunnels to the hall of the Emperor.

Loki thought he might be crushing Sigyn's hand, but he couldn't afford to lose her. If they were spotted by any of the many Asgardian's that shopped in the bazaars they would be in serious trouble. They moved swiftly through the crowds. Thankfully Sigyn was even more nimble than he was so they were able to avoid running into anyone. They did have a few close calls, but somehow managed to get through one of the busier markets without any mishaps. He relaxed slightly as the passage they were now traveling was practically deserted. Loki was very familiar with the layout of Nidavellir, and he had learned how to travel some of its lesser known, and even forgotten, passages after getting himself into trouble here on more than one occasion. He could feel Sigyn pulling back slightly against him, and assumed that she was trying to take in the scenery. The carvings of the Dwarves were indeed very stunning. Precious inlaid gemstones sparkled like colored stars in the torchlight. While Loki would have loved to let Sigyn gaze till her heart was content, he knew that they must press on. Every moment they stayed out in the open, invisible or not, they ran the risk of being discovered.

Sigyn could feel Loki speeding up again. She could practically feel his urgency pressing down upon her as they made their way to the hall of the Emperor. If Loki was right, news of their supposed love affair would have certainly already reached Ivaldi's halls by now. Sigyn wasn't sure if they would fight these claims or go along with them, but that would be a decision they couldn't make till they were in Ivaldi's presence.

After turning down corridor after corridor Loki finally came to a stop in front of Ivaldi's hall.

"We are here." He stated while lifting his invisibility spell.

Sigyn did the same.

"So do we just knock?" She asked nervously.

"We just knock." He confirmed.

Sigyn approached the giant wood and iron door and lifted the doorknocker. She let the iron knocker fall with a thud that seemed to reverberate through the entirety of Nidavellir. There was a slight pause before the doors swung inward. Sigyn made no motion to go in so Loki pressed reassuringly on her back. Sigyn took the hint and began to make her way down a stone and marble corridor. Not a soul was in the hall, which caused Sigyn and Loki to be on their guard.

_"Something is not right…" _Sigyn observed to Loki telepathically.

_"Do not fret yet, it is likely we won't see anyone till we reach the doors to Ivaldi's audience chamber." _Loki assured her.

Sigyn wished that Loki's words comforted her, but they did nothing to ease her mind. The further they walked the more woozy Sigyn began to feel. Something wasn't right, and she was about to point out her concerns, when the attack came. The dwarves ambushed Loki and Sigyn from all sides. Both of them managed to get some dizzying blows in, but whatever had been used to weaken them as they walked down the hall had done its work. Sigyn and Loki both went down. Sigyn could feel magic binding handcuffs placed on her wrists and assumed that Loki was suffering the same fate. The sensation of being placed onto something was the last thing Sigyn remembered before passing out.

Sigyn was awakened with a jolt. Her head was pounding, and she could hear curious murmurs all around her. As she opened her eyes the sight of Dwarves staring down upon her greeted her. There were men, women, and children all looking at her with amusement. She managed to sit up and look around the hall. Loki, who was next to her, did the same. They were both sitting on cots of some type so Sigyn assumed that they had been carried unconsciously into the hall. She next examined her manacles. The runes that glowed on them were not weak magic, but they were no match for Sigyn. She considered breaking out of them immediately, but decided not to show her hand too soon.

"Let me see our guests." A deep bass demanded calmly.

The crowd around Loki and Sigyn dispersed revealing Ivaldi himself.

"Welcome to Nidavellir. I am sorry for your less than warm welcome." He apologized.

Guards came and undid the shackles on Sigyn and Loki's wrists, but didn't wander far off after their task was completed.

"This would normally be the time when I would ask what gift you have brought to my court, but under the circumstances I see no need to." Ivaldi began.

"What circumstances?" Sigyn queried.

"Why the escapee Asgardian lovers of course." Ivaldi replied in an amused tone. "What better gift could I ask for than this story?"

Sigyn and Loki both smiled.

_"He's lying." _Loki warned telepathically.

_"I was afraid you were going to say that…" _Sigyn replied.

"Come, you must have lunch with me." Ivaldi insisted.

Both Sigyn and Loki knew that rejecting his offer was not an option so Loki grabbed Sigyn's hand and they followed Ivaldi to his dining hall.

_"So we are going with the story then?"_ Sigyn asked.

_"For the time being it is probably a good idea."_

Ivaldi motioned for Loki to sit at his right hand side and for Sigyn to take the seat on his left.

"So tell me my dear, of all the eligible bachelors in the Nine Realms why did you fall in love with the 'god of mischief'?" Ivaldi asked Sigyn while eating his meal.

Sigyn looked over to the Dwarf Emperor. He was well above the average height of a dwarf, probably around Sigyn's height, and he had dark ebony hair.

"Surely you know, My Lord, that one does not chose whom one falls in love with." Sigyn replied while subtly batting her eyes in Loki's direction.

The Dwarf Lord laughed. "Indeed so I have heard."

"Have you never been in love My Lord?" Sigyn asked a tad surprised.

"Only with my work Lady Sigyn, only with my work." He replied. "That does not mean however, that I don't have my nights. How else could I have six children?!" He added merrily.

Sigyn found his remark to be rather crude, but thought it would be best not to tell her host that. Loki on the other hand took Ivaldi's comment in a different way.

"Are you propositioning my fiancé?" He asked in a laughing voice that carried an implied threat.

"Your fiancé?" Ivaldi asked in surprise. "I was merely told you were lovers. There was no mention of your betrothal…"

"We were to be married in Vanaheim," Loki smoothly lied "but a search party from Asgard disrupted our plans."

Ivaldi searched Sigyn's face for any indication that Loki might be lying, but she exhibited no signs that would betray him.

"Why Vanaheim?" Ivaldi finally asked.

"Freyja is a friend." Sigyn explained. "I see her often in the courts of both Asgard and Alfheim."

The lie was believable enough, and Ivaldi seemed to buy it.

"Why have you come here then?" Ivaldi pressed.

"Do not pretend that we are the first runaways to seek shelter here." Loki replied. "It is a well-known fact that Nidavellir has played host to its fair share of fugitives."

Sigyn watched Ivaldi's features carefully as he processed Loki's statement. Though he was hiding it well, Ivaldi was nervous. No, he was more than nervous, he was afraid. The question was why? Why were Sigyn and Loki ambushed if not for the purpose of turning them over to Asgard? Why was Ivaldi so frightened, and what was he frightened of? Sigyn needed to speak with Loki alone. She had to know what he thought of the situation.

Loki thought lunch would never end. The only thing he was grateful for was that Ivaldi had stopped asking so many questions. After Loki explained why Sigyn and he had chosen to hide on Nidavellir, Ivaldi had changed the line of conversation to what Sigyn thought of the Realm so far. Sigyn was very complimentary of what little she had seen, at which point Ivaldi offered to show her through his halls.

"If you do not mind My Lord," Loki interrupted "I would prefer to spend some time with my fiancé _alone_."

Ivaldi smirked. "I believe you will need a room for that. Bovur, show Lady Sigyn and Lord Loki to one of the guest bedrooms." He commanded a nearby servant.

The servant bowed and indicated that Sigyn and Loki should follow him. Loki offered Sigyn his arm, and they walked silently behind the Bovur. They reached their room and Bovur left them alone. Once inside, Sigyn placed a protective charm around the room to keep those outside from being able to hear them, and Loki placed a spell on the door to keep out unwanted visitors.

"Please tell me you are uncomfortable with our current situation." Sigyn began.

Loki nodded 'yes', "That is why I didn't refute the story of us as runaway lovers…"

"Fiancés" Sigyn corrected.

Loki smiled. "I needed to raise the stakes." He argued.

"No need to explain to me." Sigyn assured. "If it provides us with a better alibi for being here then I support it."

"Let's start from the beginning shall we?" Loki suggested.

"Very well, why did we feel faint? It was no spell or we would have detected it." Sigyn pointed out.

"I'm not certain." Loki admitted.

"So why were we even ambushed if Ivaldi was just going to release us?"

"I have no idea."

"Well this is going well…" Sigyn lamented.

"Perhaps we should tackle Ivaldi's strange behavior first. He is certainly hiding something…"

"He is not just hiding something, he is afraid." Sigyn pointed out. "Couldn't you see it? When you talked about fugitives taking refuge here his fear was evident. So the first question is what or who is he afraid of?"

"He could be afraid of getting caught harboring us, but that seems unlikely. We are far from the most dangerous criminals he has given shelter to."

"So who is he afraid of? Us?"

Loki shook his head 'no.'

"The AllFather?"

"It is a possibility. If the AllFather caught us here Ivaldi would certainly be in some trouble, but it is not as if the AllFather would do anything to Ivaldi besides scold him. Nidavellir is far too important in supplying Asgard with everything from commodities to weapons to ostracize it."

Sigyn thought for a moment.

Weapons.

"Loki… who supplies Thanos's army?"

"I don't know." He confessed.

Sigyn went to stand by the fire to think. The clues she needed seemed to be floating around her mind, just out of reach.

Weapons.

Gems.

Thanos.

Nidavellir.

Sigyn didn't know how long she stood there motionless when an idea struck her.

"Loki, I believe Thanos has been here and that is why Ivaldi is afraid." She stated.

"If Thanos had been here we would be standing in a pile of rubble, or we would of at least heard of it while on Vanaheim."

"Not necessarily. I said Thanos has been here, not that he attacked."

"What other reason would Thanos have to come here if not to attack?" Loki prodded.

"Thanos needs weapons too. His army can't fight a war unarmed."

"You think Ivaldi is making weapons for Thanos?"

"Who better?" Sigyn pointed out. "Not that I believe Thanos is giving Ivaldi much say in the matter."

"I believe the conversation would go something along the lines of 'You will make these weapons for me, or I will destroy you.'" Loki noted.

"It would explain why Ivaldi is afraid. He must know that Thanos is after you."

"After us." Loki corrected.

"So why hasn't he informed Thanos we are here yet?" Sigyn pondered out loud.

"Who is to say that he hasn't?"

"If Thanos knew we were here we would already be in his clutches."

"True." Loki relented before walking to stand next to Sigyn at the fire.

He clasped his hands behind his back, his customary thinking position.

"I think we may be on the right track, but there must be more to it. Ivaldi will have to inform Thanos we are here eventually if he wants to ensure the safety of his Realm, but he is chosing to wait. Why?"

"I think we need to do so more research on the subject." Sigyn proposed.

"Are you suggesting we sneak around uninvited?" Loki asked, raising an eyebrow in Sigyn's direction.

"Do not look contemptuously at me." Sigyn chided.

"You mistake me Sigyn, I am merely upset that I was not the one to think of it." Loki replied with a mischievous gleam in his emerald eyes. The 'god of mischief' was back.


	50. At least pretend you are enjoying it

Author's Note: I know, I know, I have posted a lot in two days. I just can't help it! I am almost done writing the story so I feel like it is safe to post most of what I have finished so far. In other words, be expecting a lot of updates these next couple of days! I hope that isn't a problem... I own nothing, but of course you already know that. Ohhhh and "Hi" to my newest followers! I meant to say that yesterday, but I forgot. I hope you don't feel neglected now O.o

* * *

Loki and Sigyn walked arm and arm through the halls of Ivaldi's underground palace. To a casual observer they would have appeared as a couple taking in the sights, but in truth their minds were far removed from the stunning scenery that surrounded them. As they roamed about, a question formed in Sigyn's mind.

"What are the grates in the ceiling for?" She asked Loki in a hushed tone.

Loki brushed a loose strand of hair from Sigyn's face to keep up their romantic appearance.

"They cover the shafts that run up to the surface. The fresh air that travels down them helps to keep the air in Nidavellir from becoming concentrated with the dangerous, and even lethal, gases that can build up in the mines."

Gases.

"Do these shafts connect with each other at any point?" Sigyn pressed.

"They might. I can't imagine that every ventilation shaft in Nidavellir runs directly to the surface, that would have taken far too much time to build. It is likely that multiple shafts meet at some point, and that they merge into one larger shaft that reaches the surface." Loki reasoned.

Sigyn sensed eyes watching them so she stopped and threw her arms around Loki's neck so she could pull him down to whisper into his ear.

"I think I know why we felt so queasy earlier."

Loki smirked seductively.

"Do tell…" He invited in a louder voice so that anyone watching would be able to barely hear him.

Sigyn pulled him down closer.

"Do the Dwarves produce any type weapons that utilize gas?"

"Not that I am aware of." He replied.

Loki pulled back slightly, and Sigyn could see that he knew where she was going with this line of thought.

_"The ventilation shafts in the hallway… you think that they used some type of gas on us?"_ Loki asked telepathically.

Instead of replying, Sigyn linked her arm back through his and they continued down the hall.

Loki mentally agreed that the idea was a good one, but they needed to prove it somehow. Apparently Sigyn was thinking the same thing because she began scanning the grates even more carefully. Loki wasn't sure what she was looking for, but apparently she was on to something because she kept tugging him on faster and faster. The further they zigzagged through the corridors, the drowsier Loki began to feel. Sigyn seemed slightly effected too, but she pressed on. Finally they reached a large door where the gas began to overpower Loki entirely. Sigyn's markings began to glow and Loki knew that she was using some sort of spell to protect herself. Loki began to hold his breath, and Sigyn motioned for him to come and lift her up so she could see into the grate. Loki quickly complied. She was barely able to reach it, but she still managed to get it off somehow. She began fiddling around with something, and Loki wished she would hurry up because his vision was starting to blur from the lack of oxygen. Sigyn tapped his shoulder, and he let her down.

"It is safe to breathe again." She informed him, and Loki quickly complied.

While he was still feeling woozy, the sensation wasn't as strong as it had been. Sigyn pointed to a second grate, and Loki lifted her up yet again. Once she had finished her work, they could both breath freely. They then turned their attention to the door. It was locked so Sigyn tested it with her magic.

"Someone really doesn't want us in there." She murmured.

"Can you break the magic?"

"Yes, but I need you to cover me in case anyone decides to meander down this way." She replied.

Loki nodded, and took up a post in the hall.

Ten minutes later no one had appeared and Loki glanced back at Sigyn to see how she was progressing. She worked silently, but she looked pleased. Loki didn't think he would have to wait much longer before she got them in. A couple more minutes passed before she gave a triumphant little squeak, and Loki returned to her side as she pulled one of the doors open.

The room they stepped into was cold and dark. Loki used his magic to light the torches, and his heart sunk. The room was full of tall metal canisters and wooden crates. Sigyn sighed.

"The gas that they are running through the pipes in the ventilation system must be coming from these metal things…" she theorized.

"There are pipes in the ventilation system?" Loki asked curiously.

"Yes, I stopped the gas outside the door by blocking them." She explained.

"So how do the Dwarves get into this room without being knocked out by the gas since no one seems to be controlling these pipes?"

"I am not sure. Perhaps they have some sort of antidote or special spell they use." Sigyn theorized.

"I think that is a good assumption," Loki replied while making his way to one of the crates "but when did the Dwarves begin to manufacture chemical weapons?"

"They didn't." Sigyn answered before Loki heard one of the vats go tumbling to the ground.

Loki glanced over to see fire burning in Sigyn's eyes. He assumed that she had shoved the vat over in anger, and he couldn't help but think how lucky she had been that she hadn't accidentally punctured a hole in it.

"These were made in Midgard." She fumed.

Loki turned to the crate he was standing by and quickly, but carefully, opened its lid. Inside were more canisters. He began to read the names on the ones in the crate and around the room.

Argentina.

Brazil.

China.

Egypt.

Germany.

Iran.

Japan.

Russia.

Saudi Arabia.

Spain.

The United Kingdom.

The United States of America.

There were at least another dozen countries listed throughout the room. The governments of Midgard had obviously chosen a side, but what about S.H.I.E.L.D? Had they been compromised as well? Loki knew the same thoughts must be running through Sigyn's head, and she confirmed this suspicion almost immediately.

"I must warn Thor… I am not sure we can trust S.H.I.E.L.D anymore…"

Loki didn't have time to reply however, as footsteps began to echo down the hall. Loki sent Sigyn a warning look, and they both ran out of the room. The door closed heavily behind them, and while they were safe from being caught red-handed, the footsteps that were coming toward them sounded urgent. Not able to flee the scene entirely, Loki came up with another plan. Before she could protest, Loki pushed Sigyn up against a wall opposite the door they had just exited from. Sigyn looked utterly confused, but Loki didn't give her time to ask questions. Instead, he let one of his hands trail down to Sigyn's waist to pull her closer to him while the other snaked itself around her upper thigh. Sigyn appeared to be about to protest his actions, but was cut short by Loki placing his mouth against her neck. A surprised gasp left her lips, and she stood unmoving for a moment. Loki worked his mouth up her neck.

"At least pretend you are enjoying it." He murmured before placing his lips against her skin once again.

Sigyn's heart was all a-flutter. She hadn't responded at first because she assumed it was just some after effect of the gas causing her to have hallucinations. With Loki's encouragement however, Sigyn simply closed her eyes and let her head fall back to allow Loki more space to work with. The footsteps soon reached the pair, and suddenly stopped. Someone awkwardly cleared their throat causing Loki's lips to stop ministering to Sigyn's neck. Loki pulled back slightly, which is when Sigyn realized that she had tangled her fingers into his hair.

"Yes?" Loki asked in a less than happy tone.

The group consisted of Ivaldi and some of his soldiers, and they all seemed to be shifting uncomfortably.

"I thought I had given you a room for that." Ivaldi stated in forced amusement.

Loki stood to his full height. "Yes, well that was a bit too conventional for me."

Ivaldi smirked. "Well I ask that while in my Hall you stick to the conventional."

Loki just smirked back.

"Come, it is time for dinner now anyway." Ivaldi beckoned.


	51. Impromptu party

Neither Sigyn nor Loki argued with their host's invitation to dine. They followed Ivaldi and his men to the dining hall making sure to walk a few paces behind them. Neither of them spoke, but both of them had plenty on their minds. They each sat in their former spots at the dinner table, but this time they were joined by Ivaldi's children and courtiers. Sigyn made pleasant conversation with those around her, but Loki had eyes for only her. Even when Ivaldi or one of his sons somehow managed to pull Loki into a conversation, his focus was still on Sigyn. The way she smiled, they way she tucked the same strand of loose hair behind her ear over and over again, and the way her eyes darted to the side in embarrassment when someone complimented her all cast some sort of spell over Loki. He smiled at the small faint red marks he had left on her neck. They were only really visible if you were looking for them, and they were hardly all Loki wanted to leave on her. He wanted to claim her as his own, but knew in reality that he couldn't. He could try no doubt, but in the end Sigyn would not stand for someone making a claim on her if she had not consented to giving them that claim. Still, she wanted him. He knew that she did. The way she had curled her fingers into his hair and hummed at his butterfly kisses trailed along her neck told him so. All he needed to do was make her see that she belonged with him. If he could do that, then maybe, just maybe…

…Maybe, just maybe, Loki was starting to feel something for her. It had taken all of Sigyn's self-control not to gasp as Loki kissed her neck and massaged her thigh. If he could be that romantic while acting, there was no telling how romantic he could be when the passion was for real. All Sigyn knew for sure was that all throughout dinner she kept throwing glances his way, hoping he would catch her gaze.

Dinner did not finish till well into the night, and Sigyn and Loki's companions were rather drunk. Ivaldi laughed merrily, and slapped Loki rather forcefully on the back.

"My friend it is time we celebrate!" He bellowed.

"Have we not celebrated enough?" Loki asked in a mournful voice. He was more than ready to escape the drunken Dwarves.

"No my lad, we have barely begun!" Ivaldi declared. "Come now, we need a song! Who shall sing for us?"

The Dwarves excitedly began to talk amongst themselves before one of the courtiers stood from their seat.

"The Lady Sigyn can sing m'Lord!" The Dwarf proudly declared.

Heat rushed into Sigyn's cheeks as Ivaldi studied her.

"Very well My Lady, would you do us the honor?"

Sigyn fidgeted in her seat. "I fear that my voice is not beautiful enough to be heard on its own." She excused herself.

"Nonsense!" The Dwarf Lord cried. "I will not hear any feeble excuses, but if it would ease the Lady's mind…perhaps she will consent to singing with our players?"

Sigyn thought over the Emporor's request and sighed. "Very well My Lord. If it will please my host, I shall sing with his players."

"Wonderful!" Ivaldi declared.

The dining table was hastily pushed to the wall to open up the floor for dancing. The players arranged themselves, and Sigyn politely dismissed herself to go speak with them.

"Your fiancé is quite a treat." Ivldi remarked to Loki. "I can now see why Odin kept her hidden away for all these years… it is odd though, it has been centuries since one of the Æsir have married their own sibling."

Loki inwardly cringed. Of all the things people knew about him, no one seemed to know his true birth.

"As I said before, I am not one for the conventional. Besides, she is only my half-sister."

"Do not be offended," Ivaldi encouraged "it is still a common practice among the Dwarves to marry your relative."

Now Loki was really cringing on the inside. There was no way in the Nine Realms he would marry his blood relative…now an adopted relative on the other hand, was a completely different story.

Their conversation was cut short as the musicians began to play. Ivaldi went to find a dance partner, and Loki went to hide in a corner as usual. Some things never changed regardless of what Realm he was on. Soon Sigyn's voice began to ring out through the hall. She had chosen to sing the song of 'The Riddles of King Heithrek,' and the Dwarves began to dance jovially. Loki smirked as two of the Dwarves pulled Sigyn up to stand on the dining table to sing before jumping down to join in on the dancing themselves. Sigyn, who apparently had warmed up to the idea of singing for everyone, began to bounce around on the table to keep time with the players. Sigyn rarely ever drank, and tonight had been no exception. Her happiness came from within herself while those around her relied on the alcohol. Loki found himself absent-mindedly clapping along to the beat like those around him who had also chosen to sit the dance out. Loud roars and applause followed Sigyn's singing, and she took a small little bow. She was about to jump down from the table when the pleading of those around her convinced her to sing a couple more songs. Finally, after her third song Sigyn excused herself and went to where Loki was standing. The players began another tune, and Loki and Sigyn took the opportunity to chitchat.

"They seemed to enjoy that." Loki commented, but Sigyn rolled her eyes.

"Only because they are drunk." She remarked.

"Even a drunk Dwarf can tell a good singer from a bad one." Loki defended.

Sigyn smiled. "So what were you and Ivaldi discussing earlier?"

"Nothing of importance, I assure you." He replied.

After watching a few dances, Sigyn began to fidget.

"Something wrong?" Loki asked curiously.

"No, nothing at all." She lied.

"Sigyn." Loki warned.

"Its just… well I want to dance is all." She admitted.

It was Loki's turn to sigh.

"All right." He finally caved in.

Sigyn excitedly grabbed his hand and pulled him onto the floor. Several of the dwarves noticed that Loki was finally joining in on the celebration and cheered. The dance had the group spinning in circles, and Loki felt rather dizzy after it. He pulled Sigyn off of the floor and over to a bench to allow his head some time to stop spinning. The two hadn't sat there for long when a Dwarf came up and sat next to the two.

"Might I have a word with the two of you?" he asked politely.

"Of course." Sigyn invited.

The Dwarf nodded in thanks, and began to ramble on aimlessly till the next dance was about to begin. As he excused himself, he took Sigyn's hand and placed a kiss on it.

"I wish you the best of luck in all of your ventures." He stated before taking his leave.

Sigyn thanked him, and then placed the hand he had kissed on her chest. She was so careful in her maneuvers that Loki was only barely able to see that she had slipped something from her hand into her bodice. Loki took her back onto the dance floor for a few more dances before hunting Ivaldi down to excuse them for bed. Ivaldi seemed reluctant to see them go, but did not hinder their departure. Loki was more than anxious to get to their shared room so Sigyn could show him what the Dwarf had given to her. Sigyn must have been just as curious because they made it to their chambers in what Loki thought must have been record time.


	52. An old friend

Sigyn, normally one for modesty, didn't even ask Loki to close his eyes as she reached down the front of her bodice to retrieve the small folded piece of paper that the Dwarf had given her. She opened it as quickly as possible without accidentally tearing it, and scanned the message.

_My Lady Sigyn, _

_I apologize for I cannot give you my name. All I can truly tell you about myself is that I am loyal to your father Odin AllFather. You are an intelligent young woman and your companion, Loki, is known for his cleverness so I am sure that you have both sensed the uneasiness in Nidavellir. Thanos has threatened Emporor Ivaldi with the destruction of Nidavellir if he does not bend to the tyrants will. The Dwarves have been commissioned to create weapons for Thanos's army, which seems to be expanding in ranks. Though this news is disturbing enough, I fear it is not all that I have. I believe that Thanos has commissioned Ivaldi with the task of creating a personal weapon of some sort for Thanos. I know not the details, but Ivaldi has taken to his smithy once again, and he seems most anxious to finish whatever project he is working on. The only other thing that I can tell you is that you are both in danger. Ivaldi has not informed Thanos of your presence here yet, but it is only a matter of time before he will be forced to do so. I would suggest that you conduct whatever business you have here quickly. The sooner you can depart from Nidavellir the better. I wish you good fortune on the rest of your journey, whatever it may be._

_One Loyal to the AllFather_

Sigyn finished the letter and handed it to Loki before taking a seat on the bed. Loki studied it and then handed it back to Sigyn.

"A personal weapon for Thanos?" He queried.

"Do you not see it? Thanos is having Ivaldi try and recreate the Infinity Gauntlet."

Loki's eyes widened.

"Can he?"

"I have no idea. He is considered the greatest craftsman in the Nine Realms, and that is saying something for the Dwarves, so if anyone could recreate it, it would be him." Sigyn huffed.

"The letter says nothing about the Infinity Gem that was left here." Loki pointed out.

"I almost feel like we have to assume Thanos is in possession of it now." Sigyn replied.

Loki thought for a second. "Not necessarily… Ivaldi won't know if the Gauntlet works if he has nothing to test it with. There is the possibility that Thanos has left the Gem here so that Ivaldi can ensure that the Gauntlet he creates works."

Sigyn's expression brightened a bit.

"Do you know the location of Ivaldi's workshop?" She asked hopefully.

"No, but I know someone who does."

"Who?" Sigyn inquired curiously.

"An old friend of mine, but it is too late to visit him now. We should get some sleep while we can." Loki encouraged.

Sigyn jumped off of the bed and pulled her yellow dress over her head. Loki had the decency to avert his eyes, and he began to take the outer layer of his clothing off too. The day's adventures and abundance of wine had left him a bit drowsy, so he struggled with the buckles and ties more than he usually did. Sigyn noticed his difficulty, and went over to help. Her hands went directly to where his pauldron was fastened at the hip, and she made quick work of the buckles there. She pulled it off as Loki was unfastening his vambraces. She then went behind him to help him shrug his outer leather trench off. As he began to take off the last of his leather garments Sigyn moved towards the bed. Loki thanked his lucky stars that she was behind him so that she couldn't see just what kind of effect her sheer proximity had on him. Loki tried to relax his muscles, and he quickly slipped under the covers before Sigyn could get a good look at him. He dimmed the lights, and Sigyn fell asleep almost immediately. Loki was once again left looking at her sleeping form. He decided that he would take a risk and nestled closer to Sigyn. He wasn't so close that their bodies were touching, but he was close enough to run his hand easily through her hair. Sigyn let out her usual contented sigh, and Loki fell into the dreamless sleep that only Sigyn's touch seemed to bring.

…

Sigyn assumed it was morning when she awoke, but there were no windows to the outside world in their room so it was impossible to tell for sure. Loki's steady breathing told her that he was still fast asleep. She didn't want to wake him so she closed her eyes and lay silent. Thoughts of what the day might bring ran through her head. She had used the power of the Mind Gem to go to Thor in a dream and warn him that Midgard had seemingly joined forces with Thanos, but she was not sure what he would do about it. Sigyn was running through a mental checklist of questions that needed to be answered when Loki's breathing started to alter. She was about to turn to him to see if he was awake when she felt a soft tug on her hair. The tugging motion continued, and Sigyn was a bit too startled to react. Instead, she kept her eyes closed and tried to determine what was going on.

Sigyn still appeared to be asleep when Loki woke up. Her hair was a tangled mess, which caused Loki to grin. He began to work his fingers through her hair again. Every so often they would catch on a small knot, and he would have to manipulate it with his fingers. Sigyn seemed so peaceful and calm like this, which calmed him.

Sigyn's heart was racing. She was so nervous that she felt sick to her stomach. Loki was running his fingers through her hair. Boys did such strange things when they got bored. She decided that she should probably officially wake up so that she could occupy him with conversation, but then she knew he would stop running his fingers through her hair and she didn't want him to stop. Sigyn ultimately decided to ease his boredom by "waking up." She began to stir slightly, and as she predicted Loki quickly pulled his hand away.

"Good morning." Loki greeted.

"Good morning." Sigyn replied while sitting up.

Loki stayed lying down on his side but propped himself up on his elbow.

"So when can we go see this friend of yours?" She asked.

Loki yawned. "I suppose any time we want."

"Like now?"

"If that is what you want to do, then yes. He does not live far from here." Loki replied.

Sigyn jumped out of bed with more energy than Loki thought was decent to have upon just waking up. She hurriedly slipped her yellow dress back on and found a comb to run through her hair. Loki reluctantly got out of the bed and began to dress. By the time he had finished getting his clothes on Sigyn had already pulled her hair into a half-way up style and threw him the comb. Loki made quick work of his short hair, and the two went off in search of Loki's friend.

"So who is this mystery friend?" Sigyn pressed as Loki led her down a hallway.

"He is one of Ivaldi's sons." Loki explained.

"One of Ivaldi's sons!? Are you certain we can trust him?"

"Eitri is a bit like me…" Loki replied vaguely.

"Meaning?"

"Meaning he is a bit of a rebel. He and his father are not on the best of terms."

"Yet he lives in his father's hall?"

"You know what they say about your enemies, keep them close."

Sigyn was becoming less and less sure about Loki's "friend," but seeing as she didn't have a better plan, she didn't complain. The walk to Eitri's chambers was leisurely, giving Sigyn time to study her surroundings. Loki knocked firmly on Eitri's door once they had arrived. Movement could be heard from the inside as someone came to answer Loki's summons.

"Who is it?" A male voice asked through the door.

"An old friend." Loki replied.

The door opened to reveal a Dwarf with dark hair and obsidian eyes. Eitri couldn't be over 4'5", and as Sigyn looked down at him she wondered if this was how Loki and Thor felt all the time when they were around her. She was fairly certain that she would never get used to this feeling of towering over everyone like a giant.

"Why do I have the feeling that there is trouble brewing?" Eitri asked.

"Because I'm the 'god of mischief'?" Loki theorized.

Eitri smiled and opened his door wide enough for Loki and Sigyn to enter.

"Oh how I have missed you Loki. Things are never quite as fun around Nidavellir when you are away."

Sigyn raised a curious eyebrow and Eitri let out a laugh.

"I see you have failed to tell your fiancé about your many exploits here."

"I told here a few of them." Loki defended.

"Oh? Which ones?" Eitri inquired.

"The ones where I behaved." Loki bantered back.

Eitri was sent into another fit of laughter and Loki smirked. Given the companionship that Eitri seemed to share with Loki, Sigyn was beginning to think that he was going to turn out to be just as troublesome as the self-proclaimed 'god of mischief'.

Eitri invited his two guests to sit down, and he took up a post by the mantel.

"So are you going to tell me your true purpose in Nidavellir?" He asked in all seriousness.

"Thanos." Loki stated simply.

"So the two of you are on the run from him and not the AllFather?" Eitri inquired.

"Technically I suppose we are on the run from them both." Loki acknowledged.

"We are on the run from both by default." Sigyn corrected. "Our purpose in Nidavellir is not to hide however."

"Then what is it?" Eitri pressed.

Loki and Sigyn looked at each other, but neither seemed willing to speak. After a moment of thought, Sigyn decided that they were already in danger so what would be the harm in telling their true purpose.

"We are in search of the Infinity Gems." She stated.

Eitri let out a low whistle.

"That is quite the quest." He noted. "I assume you know by now that Thanos has already been here."

Sigyn shook her head 'yes,' "We also believe that he has commissioned your father to make a second Infinity Gauntlet since I stole the original."

Eitri's eyes widened in a mixture of surprise and admiration. "You stole the original Infinity Gauntlet? Maybe you are more like your fiancé than one would assume at first glance… As for my father recreating it…I am not sure. He has certainly been working on something though."

"That is why we have come to you." Loki intervened. "We need you to take us to Ivaldi's workroom so we can verify what he is working on."

Eitri paused for a bit to think Loki's request over.

"I know my father and I do not see eye to eye," Eitri began "but I wish him no ill will. Thanos is forcing him to cooperate with his plans, and I think it is slowly destroying my father. It is the defiant streak in Ivaldi that has kept him from informing Thanos of your presence, but to keep Nidavellir safe he will have to eventually tell him."

"These are all things we are aware of." Sigyn assured him. "It is our goal to hunt down the Infinity Gems to keep them out of Thanos's grasp. Without them, he is going to have a hard time winning a war against the armies of Asgard, Vanaheim, and Alfheim."

Eitri studied Sigyn closely before responding. "Then I shall assist you in your quest. Thanos has taken the Infinity Gem that was being kept here on Nidavellir, but if Ivaldi is truly recreating the Gauntlet he will require the Gem to test it."

"That is what we thought." Sigyn agreed. "That is why it is essential for us to confirm if that is what Ivaldi is creating or not."

"Then we shall go to his workshop immediately." Eitri determined. "First though, you will need the antidote to the gas that knocked you both out yesterday"

Eitri began rummaging through a cabinet as he continued speaking.

"That was pretty amusing might I add. I wish you could have seen yourselves."

Loki looked chagrined at the comment, but Sigyn grinned slightly. She had to agree that it was probably a very amusing sight indeed. Eitri returned to where Sigyn and Loki were sitting and held out his hand. In his palm lay two small tablets.

"This is the antidote to the gas." He explained.

Sigyn reached out her hand to take one, but Loki stopped her. While he wanted to believe Eitri was telling the truth, Loki had some well-founded trust issues. If these tablets were some type of poison he wanted to be sure that only he succumbed to it. Loki grabbed one of the tablets and popped it into his mouth. He waited a few minutes, and only once he was sure that the tablet was indeed safe to ingest did he let Sigyn swallow the other one. Eitri threw Loki an amused look, but made no comment. Instead, he went to go check down the hallway to see if the coast was clear.

"I was wondering something." Sigyn stated after Eitri left. "Why didn't Thanos supply the Dwarves with other Midgardian weapons?"

"He probably doesn't trust that they will not try to use them against him instead. He is forcing them to help him after all…not to mention those bullet things don't really do anything but bounce off of Asgardians." Loki pointed out

"Do you think he will use Midgardian weaponry?" She pressed.

"Not likely. The Midgardians are hopefully smart enough not to trust Thanos with their most destructive weapons, and their weaker ones probably won't have much effect on us."

The topic was dropped upon Eitri's reappearance, and he motioned for Sigyn and Loki to follow him. The trio left Eitri's chambers and made their way swiftly to Ivaldi's secret workshop. The three were silent on the way there as Loki and Sigyn were trying to memorize the path. They reached the hidden door in a reasonable amount of time and, after Eitri assured them that Ivaldi only worked at night, the two boys allowed Sigyn to open it with her magic. It took her longer than she would of liked, but they did get in. The room was dark so Sigyn lit the fireplace. Eitri kept a lookout in the hall while Loki began looking over the drawings on Ivaldi's workbench and Sigyn studied the tools spread out about the room.

"Ivaldi _is_ trying to recreate the Gauntlet." Loki stated, holding up a blueprint for Sigyn to see.

Sigyn nodded. "and I think I may have found it." She replied before pulling a sheet off of an oddly shaped object on the work table.

She had managed to find the new Gauntlet, but it was far from complete.

"I don't think this is going to be ready in time for Thanos to use." She observed aloud.

"I agree, but we still need to get ahold of the other Gem." Loki reminded her.

"and I think I know how…" She replied with a gleam in her eyes.

"Why do I get the feeling that I will not like this plan?" Loki asked.

"Because I do not think you will." Sigyn replied honestly.

"Well at least she is honest." Loki thought to himself as Sigyn led the way out of the workroom.


	53. Midgard's betrayal

It was easy for Thor's companions to see that something was seriously wrong at breakfast. He ate as much as normal and he smiled and talked, but the usual bright gleam that his blue eyes held was gone. As everyone was finishing up Tony finally spoke up.

"Ok 'point break,' what's going on?"

"Nothing, I had a strange dream that is all." Thor replied.

"Now I see why your brother is the 'god of lies,' and not you." Tony stated.

"I am telling you the truth." Thor protested. "I had a strange dream, and that is what bothers me."

"What happened in the dream?" Natasha pried.

"Sigyn came to me, to warn me…" Thor trailed off before finishing however.

"To warn you of what?" Lady Sif prompted.

"To warn me that Midgard has betrayed us."

Those at the table looked at Thor in shock.

"What do you mean 'has betrayed us'?" Clint pressed forcefully.

"She told me that Thanos is coercing the Dwarves into supplying his army, and that he in turn has given them some type of your chemical weaponry to protect the secret from outsiders."

"But it was simply a dream was it not?" Fandral asked.

"Not likely." Bruce replied. "Sigyn said that the Mind Gem enhanced her psychic powers and that she could see into people's thoughts. Using dreams to send messages to us is probably the easiest way for her to communicate because our minds are more venerable, and therefore more accessible to her, when we sleep."

"Maybe the Dwarves weren't given the weapons by Thanos." Rogers, ever the optimist, theorized half-heartedly. "Maybe Earth gave them to the Dwarves to fight Thanos."

"No offence to your Realm, but the Dwarves do not trade with Midgardians." Volastagg pointed out.

"Volstagg is right." Thor agreed. "Nidavellir has not had any interaction with Earth for centuries."

"Then I need to go back to S.H.I.E.L.D today." Agent Hill determined. "Director Fury will be able to tell me what is going on."

"Can we even trust S.H.I.E.L.D?" Tony asked skeptically.

"We can trust Fury." Agent Hill replied with finality.

Thor offered to take her to the Bifrost immediately, and they both left the room. The rest of the group sat silently in the dining hall in contemplation. Steve finally had enough of the inactivity and got up from the table.

"Where are you going?" Natasha asked.

"To train, I can't stand just sitting here." He replied before leaving the hall.

Knowing that he needed to release some anger, no one made a motion to follow him except for Lady Sif. It didn't take her long to catch up with him.

"Would you like someone to spar with?" She offered.

Steve smiled. "I normally wouldn't feel right about fighting a woman, but after seeing you handle yourself yesterday I can honestly say it would be my honor ma'am."

Sif smiled and the pair walked the rest of the way in silence. Once they reached the training area they took the time to stretch out, and then Sif threw a training staff Steve's way.

"I thought you might enjoy learning something new." She explained.

Steve smiled, but didn't reply since the blue light of the Bifrost suddenly shot into the sky signaling Agent Hill's departure. Lady Sif began to teach Steve the basics of stick fighting, and he took it all in with enthusiasm. By the time everyone else reached the grounds the two were doing some light sparring with the weapons. Sif was clearly much more advanced, but Steve was progressing along quickly. Thor interrupted the match to inform them of Agent Hill's departure, and reminded them that they were scheduled to work with the Asgardian soldiers today. Sif and Steve returned the weapons to their homes, and followed Thor and the others to where the soldiers were waiting. After introducing his Midgardian friends to his soldiers, Thor began the training session. While the group put their best efforts into focusing on the training, it was obvious that no one was going to be able to fully commit till Agent Hill returned with some type of news.

Meanwhile, Agent Hill had arrived at S.H.I.E.L.D headquarters and was on the hunt for Director Fury. After asking a few Agents, she was informed that Fury was in his office. Hill made a beeline for it, and didn't even bother to knock before entering. Fury, who was studying a couple of open files on his desk, looked up to see a very flustered Agent Hill.

"I'm guessing you have some important news from Asgard." He assumed.

"More like questions sir." Maria began.

Fury clasped his hands in front of him, giving Maria the 'go ahead' to continue.

"Sigyn made contact with Thor last night, and she says that Thanos has supplied chemical weapons, _our_ chemical weapons, to the inhabitants of another Realm."

"So she thinks that we are in league with Thanos." Fury reasoned.

"Not us specifically sir, but Earth." Maria replied.

Fury took the files that were sitting in front of him and handed them to Maria.

"I think she may be right." He agreed. "You might wanna take a seat before you read those." He cautioned.

Maria sat in a nearby chair and opened the files, which contained the seal of the CIA. The first folder contained photos and the known biographies of Thor, Sigyn, and Loki. Each bio had physical descriptions along with any known traits. There were holes in the information, especially in Sigyn's biography, but there was enough to know that someone had been watching them while they were on Earth. At the top of each of their biographies there was a line that said 'Category: Priority 1.' Hill was not familiar with the lingo of the CIA so she sent a questioning glance over to Fury.

"Sir, what does 'Category: Priority 1' mean?"

Fury leaned back in his chair. "It means take them out."

Agent Hill closed that folder and placed it on Fury's desk before opening the next one. This one was also from the CIA. Inside were similar profiles for each member of the Avengers. Maria studied the profiles closely. Bruce, Natasha, and Clint were also catalogued as 'Category: Priority 1' while Stark and Steve were listed as 'Category: Priority 2' and 'Category: Priority 3.'

"So what are priorities 2 and 3?" she asked.

"Priority 2 is a watch list while Priority 3 is considered a non-threat."

"So this is a CIA hit list?"

Fury nodded.

"How did we get ahold of this?" Maria questioned.

"An Agent on the inside, but that isn't the only one." Fury informed her before reaching down and bringing up a stack of files.

Agent Hill scooted closer to the desk and began to scan them. The files were from all over the globe. She recognized English, Russian, French, German, and Japanese Intelligence Agency logos right off the bat, and she assumed that there were at least another dozen files in addition to those. She reached for the one nearest her, and realized that it was very similar to the one from the CIA. It consisted of bios, photos, and some sort of ranking system. Fury began to speak as Maria looked through all of the files.

"These are only the ones we were able to get before our Agents started going dark." Fury explained.

"How many have gone dark?" Hill asked in a worried tone.

"You don't want to know." Fury replied truthfully. "The files are all set up the same way, though the ranking system varies. Apparently not all of the countries consider the individual Avengers to be the same threat levels as the CIA. The only three that are on the 'kill' level across the board are Thor, Loki, and Sigyn, though all of the Avengers make an appearance with them for at least two countries each.

"Have you talked to The Council about this?" Hill asked.

Fury shook his head. "Not yet, but I think it's time to give them a call."

Fury stood from his chair and Maria began to reorganize the folders neatly. She wouldn't be allowed into the conference room while Fury talked to the Council, but she could at least take a good look at the files Fury had shown her. She lost track of time as she sat studying so the Director's hasty entrance caused her to jump slightly. Without any explanation Fury began to take the files and place them in a bag.

"What is going on Director?" Hill asked in confusion.

"You and the files need to get to Asgard now." He ordered.

"What did The Council say?"

"They confirmed their deal with Thanos. The location of the Infinity Gem that Sigyn hid and the extermination of Thor, Loki, and Sigyn in return for Earth's safety."

"What did you tell them?"

"Go to hell."

Maria helped Fury load the last of the reports, and they began to run down the hallways while signaling the evacuation of the headquarters. Gunfire began to break out in the base and Agent Hill sent a worried look to the Director.

"How did The Council's people reach us so quickly?" She asked while pulling her gun from its holster.

"My guess is that they were already here." He replied while pulling out his own gun.

Agent Hill needed to get outside so that Heimdall could open up the Bifrost for her. She and Fury fought there way to the staircase that would take them to the helicopter pad, and began to ascend as quickly as possible. Maria burst onto the pad first and began to check the area for hostels. She didn't see any, and Fury took the bag from his shoulders and slung it over hers.

"Make sure the Avengers see these."

"You're not coming with me!?" Agent Hill asked in surprise.

Fury didn't have time to respond as turncoat Agents burst onto the roof. Fury began taking them out one by one, and Agent Hill couldn't help but be impressed by his aim. He shot better with one eye than most people did with two.

"Open the Bifrost now!" Fury commanded and Agent Hill looked to the sky a bit unsure.

She wasn't really certain about how to get Heimdall to open the Bifrost, but as bullet grazed her arm she decided to try the simplest thing she could think of.

"Heimdall, I need you to open the Bifrost!" She yelled into the sky.

Seconds later a brilliant blue beam of light shot down and began to engulf her. Agent Hill looked back towards Fury one last time to try and convince him to come with her, when his body collided into hers. The two were pulled up and away from the fighting, and after a few gut-wrenching moments they landed in a pile back on Asgard.

"Sir…" Agent Hill said while sitting up, but the rest of her sentence was lost at the sight before her.

It had been a bullet that sent Fury crashing back into her. The Director was dead.


	54. A mission unchanged

Barton was the first one to see the serving girl running in their direction. He nudged Thor who watched as the girl approached in a frenzy. When she finally reached them she began curtsying and talking so fast that Thor had tell her to slow down and begin again.

"M'Lord there is a woman arrived from Midgard… she needs to see you…to see all of you, well not all of you just you and the Midgardians. Heimdall said it was important and that you should go to the observatory now…not that I am trying to tell you what to do m'Lord, it is just what Heimdall told me to say."

The girl was obviously flusterd so Thor thanked her kindly and let her go to see to her other duties.

"We best head to the observatory." Thor stated. "Can the four of you handle this while we are gone?" Thor asked Lady Sif and the Warriors Three.

They replied that they could and Thor and the Avengers set off towards Heimdall and the observatory. Agent Hill was waiting for them on the bridge right outside the golden structure. The goup immediately noticed her disheveled appearance, and Thor was fairly certain that there was blood on her arm.

"You guys will need to see this." She said before anyone could ask her what had happened on Earth.

Agent Hill walked into the observatory and the Avengers followed her. Heimdall had assisted her in laying out Fury's body, and she had closed his eyes. If she hadn't known any better she would have simply thought he was asleep. The others saw the Director's body, and immediately looked at Agent Hill for answers.

"The Council betrayed S.H.I.E.L.D. They demanded the loction of the Gem that Sigyn hid, and they wanted us to hand Thor, Loki, and Sigyn over to the government. Fury told them to 'go to hell'." Agent Hill explained.

"What do they want with us?" Thor asked.

"I think it would be best if you just read the files." She replied while holding up a bag for the Avengers to see.

Thor instructed Heimdall to ensure that Fury's body was taken care of, and went with the others back into the palace to look the files over. They went back to the room with the couches and fire pit so that they could read over the files in comfort while Agent Hill gave them the detailed account of what had occurred at S.H.I.E.L.D headquarters. Everyone but Thor had finished reading the files that they could by the time Maria had finished her story.

"Can you even read those?" Natasha finally asked as Thor picked out yet another file in a foreign language.

"Of course, can't you?" He asked in a tone of mild surprise.

"Not a chance." Clint remarked.

"I suppose I have had longer to study the languages of the Nine Realms." Thor reasoned before studying the file in his hands again.

The other Avengers and Agent Hill discussed their current predicament while Thor studied on.

"So with Fury dead does that put you in charge?" Natasha asked Agent Hill.

"Of this mission? Yes, but now that S.H.I.E.L.D is falling apart I'm not sure what mission we have anymore." Hill replied.

"We promised to help Asgard fight Thanos, and as far as I'm concerened that mission still stands." Steve argued.

"Cap is right." Stark agreed. "We're already on the world's most wanted list so we might as well stay here and help Thor out."

Agent Hill nodded. "Ok then, we stick to the plan."

Dinner was brought to the room and the group ate in mournful silence till Lady Sif and the Warriors Three arrived.

"How was training?" Thor asked.

"Wonderful." Lady Sif noted.

"The men seem eager for a battle." Hogun added.

"Well the battle just got a little more difficult." Thor warned. "Midgard has joined with Thanos, and the leader of our team was killed."

"I am sorry." Sif apologized.

"Don't be. Director Fury died doing his job, and he took more than a dozen guys out with him." Hill stated.

"Then he died the way any warrior would want to." Fandral noted while raising his glass. "To Director Fury!"

Those present raised their glasses in salute.

"I must know, why would Fury tell The Council to go to Hel? She is a friend of Loki's." Thor pointed out.

Stark laughed. "So she _is_ his daughter."

The Asgardians looked at each other in amusement.

"No." Volstagg replied.

"More like lover... well former lover. They haven't seen each other in centuries." Fandral corrected.

"What gave you the impression that Hel was Loki's daughter?" Thor asked.

"That's just what all the legends say." Tony defended.

Thor laughed. "Yes, your Midgardian stories are quite amusing. They even believed the Lady Sif and I to be married." He noted, amusement gleaming in his eyes.

Steve couldn't help but notice Sif's face grow somewhat downcast despite her laughter.

"Is she pretty?" Clint asked curiously before Natasha punched him in the arm.

"Who? The Lady Sif?" Thor asked confused.

"Hel." Clint answered while throwing Natasha a 'What was that for?' look.

"If you're on her good side." Fandral jested.

Volstagg was sent into fits of laughter, and even Hogun had to crack a smile.

"Be careful how you speak." Thor warned in a teasing manner. "Hel is the mistress of the dead after all, and she might just decide to give you a permenant home in her Realm."

Fandral thought that over for a moment before smiling. "That might not be so bad since she is available."

Thor and the others grinned, and the topic changed yet again. Between Tony, Fandral, and Clint the conversation managed to stay cheerful despite the dark cloud that hung over everyones head. As they finished dinner, people began to scatter about on the couches to share stories. Sif went out to stand on the balcony and Steve followed her.

"Good evening ma'am." He greeted.

"Good evening Steve."

"I hope you don't mind me asking, but are you all right? You seemed a bit… down at dinner."

Sif gave a little smile. "It is nothing." She assured him.

"I really don't mean to pry, but I don't think it was nothing."

Sif didn't respond so Steve tried another tactic.

"I was in love once." He said.

Sif looked over at him with interest.

"You remind me of her." He added, while glancning in Sif's direction.

"How so?" She asked.

"She was a female warrior in a time when females weren't warriors."

Sif smiled.

"She was a tough woman, and I admired her very much."

"What happened to her?" Sif asked.

"She grew old, and I didn't." He remarked.

Sif shifted next to Steve, drawing his attention once again.

"I was in love once." She stated.

There was a pause as Sif debated on whether or not to continue.

"What was he like?" Steve prompted.

Sif smiled. "A lot like you. A strong warrior, and a great leader."

Steve had been right. Sif did have feelings for Thor.

He shook his head. "You give me far too much credit ma'am." He protested. "I'm an experiment, nothing more."

Sif placed a hand on Steve's shoulder. "Maybe you were an experiment, but there is a worthiness about you that cannot have come from any place other than your heart."

"Thank you." Steve replied.

He then leaned on the banister and looked up into the evening sky.

"You can really see the stars here." He observed.

"Indeed." Sif agreed. "Sigyn and I used to go out and look at them when we got bored at banquets." Sif let out a hollow laugh. "That's what we had done the night she…" Sif suddenly caught herself, but Steve's interest was already piqued.

"The night she…" He urged.

For a moment Sif wished that she had Loki's ability to talk her way out of anything.

"The night she admitted to me that she had fallen in love…I never was able to guess who the lucky man was."

It wasn't a complete lie, and though Captain Rogers didn't seem convinced by her cover-up he was too much of a gentleman to question the word of a Lady. Instead, he just began to ask her about her family and life on Asgard. The two talked till Lady Sif was ready to retire, at which point Steve dismissed himself from the rest of the Avengers and walked her to her room. Normally Sif would have scoffed at a man walking her to her chambers, but for the Captain she would make an exception.


	55. Sigyn's unpopular plan

Loki huffed as he tried to keep up with Sigyn. Who would have thought that she could move so quickly in a dress? Eitri had no chance of keeping up, but Loki figured that he would catch up to them when they reached their destination, wherever that was. Loki jogged to reach Sigyn's side.

"Are you going to tell me what your plan is?" He asked a tad out of breath.

"I am going to tell Ivaldi that I know he is trying to recreate the Gauntlet, and that he is going to tell Thanos he has finished it."

"You are going to do what!?" Loki asked in a hushed yell. "Are you mad?"

"We need the Gem to come back to Nidavellir so we don't have many options."

Loki got in front of Sigyn and stopped her.

"And you think Ivaldi is just going to go along with this? When Thanos discovers Ivaldi is lying he will lay waste to Nidavellir."

"_If_ he finds out Ivaldi is lying." Sigyn corrected. "I have made a false Gauntlet once, I can do so again. Ivaldi will send word to Thanos that the Gauntlet is ready to be tested so Thanos will have to bring the Gem here."

"Or he could just take the Gauntlet back with him and test it himself." Loki pointed out.

"Not likely, that would waste time. If the Gauntlet doesn't work he will need Ivaldi to continue working on it, which means he would have to take the time to bring it back here."

"Inter-Realm travel is not that time consuming for Thanos." Loki reminded her.

"No, but it does leave him, the Gem, and the new Gauntlet vulnerable, and he will not risk that." Sigyn argued.

"So when Thanos gets here, what then?" Loki prodded.

"We ambush him. Who knows, maybe we will have the opportunity to kill him and end all of this here and now." She theorized.

"And if this fails?"

"Then the Gem is lost to us." She replied.

Loki began to rub his temples.

"Let us pretend for just a moment that this crazy scheme works, what then? We won't be able to stay here, it is still too risky to return to Vanaheim, I can't go to Asgard, and Midgard has turned on us. Where exactly will we go?"

Sigyn didn't even hesitate in her response.

"Jotunheim."

Loki pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Sigyn we can't…I can't…"

"Loki we have no other choice. We must find out if Odin has given a Gem to the Frost Giants…"

"Then I am going alone." He stated.

"You most certainly are not." Sigyn retorted. "You can't even get there without me."

Loki gave her a withering look. "Do you seriously believe me incapable of traveling between the Realms without the use of the Bifrost?"

Sigyn couldn't hold Loki's gaze. It had never occurred to her that Loki was perfectly capable of creating his own portals.

"We do not have time to argue about this." She excused before walking past him.

As she walked, her hair began to arrange itself into an elegant up do, complete with a golden circlet, and her dress changed from yellow to a shade of deep Emerald. If Loki had wanted to be frustrated with her, those thoughts were now gone. He couldn't help but pause a moment and watch as her hips swayed as she walked.

"She pulls your color off nicely doesn't she now?" Eitri teased.

Loki just rolled his eyes before taking off after Sigyn once again.

When Sigyn reached the audience hall doors she didn't bother to wait for the guards to open them. With a wave of her hand the doors flew open, and those in the hall all turned to stare at her.

"I request a private audience with the Emperor of Nidavellir…immediately." She demanded.

The courtiers looked nervously around. Everyone seemed a bit surprised at the forcefulness that Sigyn was showing, especially after her meek and mild behavior the evening before.

"Very well My Lady." Ivaldi granted.

The courtiers all left, and Loki was able to slip into the room just before the doors closed.

"What is it that has caused you to seek such an urgent audience with me?" Ivaldi asked while sitting back on his throne.

"At the death of my father I was entrusted with the task of protecting the Mind Gem from Thanos, or any other who wishes to use it ill. I am aware that you were also given the task of protecting an Infinity Gem, but that you have betrayed your charge by handing it over to Thanos. Not only have you betrayed the AllFather, but you plan to betray the rest of the Nine Realms by creating a new Infinity Gauntlet for Thanos."

Ivaldi stared at Sigyn in disbelief. "How do you know this?"

"The Mind Gem allows me to see many things." She replied cryptically.

"You lie!" Ivaldi replied while standing from his throne.

_"Do I?"_ Sigyn replied in his mind.

Her markings began to glow as she pushed through Ivaldi's memories. His eyes widened in horror as Sigyn began to force him to relive every moment of betrayal again in his mind. Loki was becoming a bit worried by Sigyn's behavior, and was about to protest her actions when her markings ceased to glow. Ivaldi was on his knees before the throne holding his head, and Sigyn quietly approached him.

"I know that what you did was for the protection of your people." She comforted. "I would have done the same, but I am here to help you now. I have a plan that might be able to free you from Thanos's thumb."

"And if it doesn't? If he finds out that I have betrayed him…"

Sigyn placed a finger to Ivaldi's lips.

"He will not know. I promise you that Loki and I will leave no doubt in Thanos's mind that you are on his side."

"How?" Ivaldi asked.

"…you are going to hand me over to him."


	56. If you want more luck, take more chances

Sigyn had been right, Loki hated this plan.

She was supposed to be 'caught' while trying to follow Thanos into Ivaldi's hall. That was believable enough with the Midgardian gas, but the rest of the plan seemed far-fetched. She was going to spin some tale of Loki getting away so that he could show up when Thanos produced the Gem. This was all assuming of course that Thanos didn't give Loki an opportunity to kill him before that. Loki's mind was spinning. Sigyn had already replaced Ivaldi's incomplete Gauntlet with a double of her own so all they were waiting on was Ivaldi's messenger to return with Thanos. Sigyn and Loki were sitting in an empty hallway awaiting their cue.

"You should keep this." Sigyn said before pulling the necklace with Frigga's ring, and the Mind Gem, from around her neck. "I don't want Thanos to find it on me."

She placed the chain around Loki's neck and tucked it underneath his collar where it couldn't be seen.

"This plan is insane Sigyn, we will be lucky to make it out of here alive."

"Then let us hope luck is on our side." She replied.

Loki sighed. "Luck never seems to be on my side."

"Well then let us hope that I have enough luck for the both of us." She teased.

A pair of guards came towards them.

"Forgive us My Lady, but we need to put these restraints on you." One of them stated.

Sigyn nodded in understanding and held her hands out. Before the Dwarf could place them on her wrists however, Loki stopped him.

"I can handle that." He said.

The Dwarf handed him the cuffs without question, and the pair left Sigyn and Loki alone once again. Loki grabbed Sigyn's hands and placed the cuffs on her wrists. They locked into place, and Loki looked at her.

"How strong is the magic? Can you break out of them?"

"The magic is not very strong, it shouldn't be a problem." Sigyn assured.

Seeing Sigyn restrained caused Loki's nerves to fray even worse than they already had been. She seemed truly powerless now. The only comfort he found was the knife he knew she had strapped to her calf. It wasn't long before people running about could be heard. Loki and Sigyn took this as their cue to get to their hiding spots, and they parted ways.

Loki was able to see the entrance to Ivaldi's hall from his spot, but once Thanos and, more importantly, Sigyn entered the hall he would be in the dark. Once they went in Loki would simply have to wait till Ivaldi took them to the workroom, and hope that Thanos didn't kill Sigyn on the spot. Loki pushed that irrational fear to the back of his mind. Thanos wouldn't kill Sigyn, he needed her Mind Gem, and when he didn't find it on her person he would have to question her about it. No, Thanos needed her alive for now. The hurried footsteps passed his hiding place, and Loki took a good look at the people about to enter the hall. He wasn't sure if he should be surprised, happy, or disappointed that the visitor was not Thanos. Apparently he was too busy to come himself so he had sent the Other in his place. The Other was immediately ushered in, and a few well-timed minutes later, Sigyn was dragged in behind him. The waiting began. He ran the plan through his mind, and when he got bored with that he started counting the number of precious gemstones imbedded into the wall. His counting was interrupted however, when Ivaldi, the Other, a few select guards, and an unharmed Sigyn came out of the hall. Loki followed behind as stealthily as possible. If he was spotted before the Other produced the Gem the whole plan was ruined.

Sigyn continued to struggle lightly with her captors. She was convincing enough to fool the Other, yet gentle enough not to actually break free. She was supposed to be suffering the effects of the Midgardain gas after all. As she was pushed along the hall she couldn't help but wonder where Loki was. He hadn't told her the exact location of his hiding place, and she hadn't sensed him following them. She trusted that he would be there when the time came, but for the moment she felt utterly alone. The Other had brought his own guards with him so it would be foolish for Loki to try to assassinate him. Ivaldi finally brought them to the doors of his workshop and opened them. The fake Gauntlet that Sigyn had created was sitting on the work table and the Other went to inspect it.

"Bring the girl in here." He demanded.

The guards pushed her roughly forward into the room.

"Now tell me Light Elf, where is Loki? Where is your lover?"

Sigyn didn't reply and the Other struck her across the cheek.

"Where is that traitorous Frost Giant!?" He demanded once more.

Sigyn refused to respond yet again, but the Other reigned in his anger.

"How did you track me here?"

Sigyn smirked.

"You used dark magic to travel and you did not consider that I would be able to track you?" She lied without batting an eyelash.

"Where is your Gem?" He interrogated.

"Safe." Was the only response she would grace him with.

The Other must have been studying her closely, but Sigyn couldn't see his eyes. Rather randomly, he began to let out a mirthless chuckle.

"You are so much like him… Loki was defiant at first too. Yes, he resisted for a time, but in the end even a hardened sorcerer like him couldn't withstand Thanos's torture."

The other pulled out a rugged blade and placed it at Sigyn's bared throat.

"If Loki couldn't help but break, how long do you think you will last? You who have never known pain. Do you honestly believe you will stand a chance when the suffering begins? We could start here you know."

The Other pressed the blade harder against her throat and began to cut into her skin, but Sigyn's gaze never wavered. The Other finally pulled the blade away from her and sheathed it once more.

"Luckily for you, Thanos wants to handle your torture personally. That means the fun will have to wait till we get you back to Titan. In the meantime though, I would love to find your companion. It would be nice to have someone to test the Gauntlet on."

"He is not merely my companion." Sigyn interjected as the Other turned away from her. "He is my fiancé."

The Other turned to face her once more, and Sigyn almost regretted saying anything.

"How unfortunate for you then, you will be a widow before a bride." He remarked before pulling out a green Gem.

This was it; this was the moment she and Loki had been waiting for. Sigyn held her breath for a second in fear that Loki might not show. Fortunately there was no need to fret. As soon as the Other pulled the Gem out and Loki got a visual on it, he went into action. Using a spell, he clouded the room in smoke, and the surprise of the ambush caused the Other to drop his guard. The soldiers holding on to Sigyn let go, and she lowered her shoulder before ramming it into the Other. She managed to take him to the ground, and Loki was to them after he had thrown two daggers into the Titian soldiers that had accompanied the Other. He used a temporary paralyzation spell on the creature and retrieved the Spirit Gem from his grasp.

"Say hello to Thanos for us." He taunted before helping Sigyn to stand and throwing the fake gauntlet into the fire.

Loki took Sigyn's arm and began pulling her out of the room. As they ran Sigyn broke the weak magic on the cuffs to free her hands, and the pair could hear Ivaldi commanding his guards to catch them. Loki grabbed onto Sigyn's hand and she teleported them to the rendezvous point that they had arranged with Eitri. The Dwarf was ready and waiting for them when they appeared.

"Time to disappear." Loki commanded before throwing the Soul Gem over to him.

"Good thing I learned from the best." Eitri replied before pocketing the Gem.

Loki was about to pull Sigyn away, but she stopped him.

"I haven't protected the Gem yet!" She protested.

"We don't have time." Loki pointed out.

"We have time enough for this." She argued before going over to Eitri and placing her hand on his head. Her elvish markings began to glow. "Eitri Ivaldison I, Sigyn Sylvathdóttir, do hereby give you this blessing. May you go unseen by those who would wish you ill, and may the cleverness that your people are so revered for keep you far from Thanos's grasp."

The charm was simple, but powerful. She would have preferred to cast a spell or two on the stone as well, but Loki was right. If all three of them were to make their escape there wasn't enough time. With that Eitri gave Sigyn and Loki a bow, and Loki transported them to the last place in the Nine Realms he ever wanted to see again. Jotunheim.


	57. An offer they can't refuse

It was cold. That was the only thing Sigyn could think as she stood in the knee-deep snow with Loki. She had no clue where he had managed to land them, and from the look on his face he wasn't sure either. The wind whipped the loose strands of her hair about, and she suddenly wished that she were wearing as many layers as Loki. She formed a pair of warm gloves and a furry cloak in hopes of keeping what little body heat she did have in. Loki wrapped his arm around Sigyn's shoulder and helped her trudge through the snow to a nearby rock pile. The rocks helped block the wind somewhat, and Loki and Sigyn could now hear one another talk.

"Where exactly did you manage to land us?" She asked.

"I was aiming for somewhere along the road to the city…"

Sigyn looked around. "Nice job." She teased.

Loki didn't take the bait, and instead studied their surroundings. Snow and ice. He wasn't sure why he expected anything different, it was Jotunheim after all. He allowed himself a moment to try and determine their approximate location, but there were no landmarks to give him any clue as to their position. Loki had nothing to go on, but for some reason he felt like he knew exactly where to go.

"Keep a hand on my shoulder and stay right behind me." He instructed Sigyn.

He knew it would be much easier for him to trudge a path through the snow that she could follow than for her to try to walk beside him. Sigyn did as he asked, and the two set off. Loki couldn't help but look back every once in a while to ensure Sigyn was still behind him, and every time he looked she would give him a reassuring squeeze on his shoulder. Loki had no idea how long they walked, but the snow seemed to be getting lower, and he thought that he saw what used to be a well-traveled road in front of him. He quickened their pace, and it wasn't much longer till they reached the road. Sigyn pulled up next to Loki once they were on it.

"Good job." She complimented.

Loki didn't reply, but continued walking down the path. This newfound familiarity with Jotunheim that he was beginning to feel was starting to bother him a bit.

Sigyn was slipping on the icy road, but Loki didn't seem to notice. In fact, he seemed to be speeding up.

"Loki Laufeyson if you do not slow down I am going to insist that you carry me the rest of the way!" She yelled over the howling wind.

Loki turned back to her and began to grin as he watched her slip and slide her way up to him.

"If you want to earn the Frost Giants respect than me carrying you is not an option." He pointed out while holding his arm out for her to take.

Sigyn threw him a nasty look, but accepted his arm anyway. The further along the road they walked the more stones and rubble from destroyed structures they came across. Eventually they found themselves walking down a large walled area that Loki remembered all too well. The wind was blocked by the walls so he and Sigyn could speak without yelling.

"Where are they?" Sigyn asked in a hushed voice.

"Watching us." Loki replied.

Both of them would occasionally catch glimpses of movement, but they kept their pace. Sigyn marveled at the ruined city that rose up around her. There was no doubt that the capital of Jotunheim had once been an impressive city. Ruined bronze embellishments littered walkways, and tattered banners were blown about by the harsh winds. The pair made their way into a ruined grand hall where a Frost Giant sat upon large throne. Sigyn knew that describing the Frost Giant as being giant was redundant, but it was the truth. The Frost Giant sitting on the throne was the largest being Sigyn had ever seen.

Loki could feel Sigyn grasp a little tighter on his arm at the sight of Jotunheim's new king. Loki had no idea who it was, or if he would even suffer two Asgardian's to be in his Realm. Loki could only hope that Sigyn was right about Odin striking some kind of deal with the Giant.

"The last time you stepped foot on this Realm, Loki Odinson, you and your brother almost unleashed a war. I hope that you and your sister have come with better intentions." The king warned.

"I assure you My Lord, your brother and I have no ill will towards you." Sigyn replied, almost knocking Loki off his feet.

The King sat forward on his throne.

"What do you mean 'my brother'?"

Sigyn took a step forward from Loki, and that is when he noticed Sigyn's markings glowing. He also couldn't help but notice that they were being surrounded by Frost Giants.

"You are Helblindi are you not?" Sigyn questioned before her markings stopped glowing.

"Yes, but that does not answer my question." Helblindi replied.

"Helblindi Laufeyson I believe you should be introduced to your brother, Loki Laufeyson."

"That cannot be…you lie!" Helblindi roared as he rose from his seat.

Sigyn held her ground. "You knew of your youngest brother…" she charged, "you knew that Laufey left him to die because of his size… not that it really mattered. If he had not left him abandoned in your temple, then he would have tried to kill him later. Just like he tried to kill you. Till Laufey's death you and your other brother, Býleistr, had been on the run from Laufey had you not?"

Helblindi remained standing, but was too shocked to speak.

"Laufey didn't want an heir because he was afraid you would rise up and try to take his place." Sigyn reasoned.

Helblindi smirked. "You truly do live up to the rumours." He complimented. "You look into my mind as if I were a mere book." He retook a seat on his throne before continuing. "Laufey did nothing to rebuild Jotunheim, he merely brooded over his defeat. His death was the best news that we have ever received from Asgard.

Helblindi turned his gaze from Sigyn, and fixed it on Loki. "The news rumoured that his defeat came at your hands. Is that true?"

"It is." Loki replied smoothly.

"…and are you truly who she says you are?" He questioned.

Loki swallowed hard. The truth could be the only thing that would protect Sigyn and himself, but the truth was the last thing he wanted to face.

"I am." He finally managed.

Helblindi leaned back on his throne and rubbed his chin. "Prove it." He commanded.

Loki did nothing at first. How could he show his true self with all of these people watching? Loki glanced at Sigyn, and she was sending him a pleading look. He took a deep breath. He could do this… no, he _had_ to do this…for her. For the woman standing next to him. He never took his eyes off of Sigyn's as he reluctantly lifted the concealing spell. No fear could be seen there, only relief and pride. Pride? Why was she proud of him? It made no sense, but there it was written all over her face. Sigyn was proud of him. Yet another conundrum that he would have to ponder at another time.

Murmuring arose from the frost Giants that were present. Helblindi leaned forward and rested his elbows on his knees.

"So it is true. The legendary 'god of mischeif' is one of us…"

Helblindi gazed around the hall at the other Frost Giants and Loki allowed the concealment enchantment take back over.

"Loki Laufeyson is one of us, and you shall not harm him or his sister while they are here as my guests." He commanded.

There were murmurs of agreement from the other Frost Giants, and Helblindi spoke again.

"Býleistr, take our brother and his sister to the rooms adjoining mine. I will join you there presently."

Before they could be led off however, Loki spoke up.

"Sigyn is not my sister, she is my fiancé."

Helblindi raised an eyebrow. "So _all_ of the rumors are true? Now that is unusual…very well, Býleistr please escort our brother and future sister-in-law to the chambers adjoining mine."

Býleistr nodded, and Sigyn and Loki followed him out of the hall. The halls leading to the living chambers had obviously been rebuilt, and appeared to be in the early stages of decoration. One might have thought that the living spaces of the Frost Giants would be crude or barbaric, but in reality they were not. The stone the corridors were constructed from was obviously bountiful on Jotunheim since it was what the great hall had been made of as well. Bronze ornaments hung on the walls, and the bronze chandeliers that hung from the ceiling lit the way. Býleistr didn't speak on the way to Helblindi's chambers, but Sigyn didn't mind. There would be plenty of discussion when Helblindi joined them. The doors to all the rooms were made of solid bronze, and Sigyn knew that they must weigh at least 1,000 pounds each. Býleistr easily opened the door and Sigyn threw Loki a 'Let's not mess with this guy' look. Sure Thor could do the same thing, but Thor was her loving half-brother not a Frost Giant who might decide to crush her skull if she spoke out of turn. The three moved out of the hallway and into the chamber, which consisted of a sitting area. There was another giant bronze door that led to another room, but Sigyn didn't feel like asking where.

"The King will be along shortly." Býleistr informed them. "Go ahead and a take a seat My Lady."

Býleistr smirked a familiar smirk at Sigyn as she sat in a large chair. Her feet didn't even touch the ground and she assumed that she looked like a small child to the Frost Giant. She was fairly certain that Loki looked like he was sniggering, but at least she now knew where he got that maddening smirk from. Sigyn pulled her cloak closer around her body and studied the room till Helblindi's arrival. The entrance of the Jotun King was anything but subtle. The hinges groaned as the doors swung open into the room.

Sigyn was about to rise from her seat in respect for the entrance of the King, but Helblindi motioned for her to stay seated.

"Our court etiquette is not nearly as formal as what you are accustomed to on Asgard." He explained.

Sigyn settled back into her seat and waited uncomfortably for what would happen next.

"How ironic that our father would die by your hand" Helblindi mused out loud "after he went to such lengths to kill you."

"Why didn't he just kill him?" Sigyn pipped up.

Býleistr scanned Sigyn. "The Jotuns are not as uncivilized as you seem to think. Not even the King can murder his child without repercussions."

"And leaving me to die was not considered murder?" Loki asked.

"Laufey declared you to be a sacrifice." Helblindi explained.

"A sacrifice? To what?" Loki demanded.

"To victory. He told the people that a sacrifice of his own newborn son would help turn the tide against the AllFather." Helblindi clarified.

"That worked well." Loki mocked.

"If he were alive he would argue that we lost because you didn't actually die." Býleistr remarked. "So did he know who you were before you killed him?" He asked curiously.

"No." Loki replied firmly.

"So what happens now?" Sigyn asked.

"You stay here with us as I said earlier." Helblindi replied.

"Thank you." Sigyn responded genuinely relieved.

"So when can we expect you to join the happy family?" Býleistr inquired of Sigyn.

"Until we are no longer on the run, marriage isn't an option." Loki quickly interceded.

"Why not?" Helblindi interjected. "Why must you wait when you could be married here?"

Loki shot Sigyn a troubled look.

"Well…because… well, I am not a Jotun." Sigyn argued.

"But our brother is." Býleistr pointed out.

Things had just gotten trickier. If they refused to be wed Helblindi and Býleistr would question why, and then they would want to know what their real purpose in Jotunheim was. Neither Sigyn nor Loki were sure they could trust the Frost Giants with the truth yet so they still needed to stay with their fiancé story.

_"Sigyn… I don't think we can refuse…"_

Loki's words rung through her head, but he was right. If they wanted to earn the Frost Giants trust they couldn't refuse. Sigyn put on her brightest smile and walked over to Loki.

"Then with your permission, we will be wed here." She replied while grabbing Loki's hand and resting her head against his upper arm.

Helblindi seemed happy with the arrangement and declared that the wedding would be announced at dinner, and that the event would take place the next day. The Frost Giants were a very communal society so the entire population ate together in a hall that dwarfed every other hall Sigyn had ever seen. Loki and Sigyn joined Helblindi, Býleistr, and Helblindi's wife, Ethelelda, at the head table. They smiled and held hands as Helblindi announced their upcoming nuptials, and once the happy announcement was made the group began to dine.

Sigyn was pleasantly surprised with the meal. It consisted mostly of different types of meats, which she was not opposed to. As she tried the different dishes she couldn't help but remark how surprised she was that Helblindi and the other Frost Giants were so willing to take Loki back as one of their own.

"By killing Laufey Loki saved Jotunheim from falling further into ruin. For that reason alone would I welcome him among us, the fact that he is also my brother only adds to the joy in welcoming him. Laufey aside, family is as important to the Frost Giants as it is to the Asgardians." Helblindi explained.

Sigyn nodded in acknowledgement of Helblindi's reasoning.

"I do not mean to offend," Loki interjected "but neither Sigyn nor myself know how weddings work on Jotunheim."

Helblindi laughed. "Neither of you need to worry. The ceremony itself is simple, and we will walk you through the pre-ceremony traditions."

Ethelelda turned to Sigyn. "We will have to make some modifications for you Sigyn since you probably wouldn't survive long in our traditional wedding garb."

"My wife will be your caretaker since you have no mother." Helblindi added.

Sigyn smiled and nodded even though she had no idea what being a caretaker meant. At the end of the meal those at the head of the table rose to go to their separate chambers. Loki asked where Sigyn and he would be sleeping and Ethelelda looked stunned.

"You cannot stay with your bride tonight, we must prepare her." She scolded.

"You will be staying with Býleistr and I so that we may prepare you." Helblindi explained.

Loki wasn't sure how comfortable he was with this arrangement. He didn't like the idea of being separated from Sigyn, but if they wanted to keep up this ruse they had no choice.

"You should say your good nights now." Ethelelda instructed.

Loki gave Sigyn a wary look, but began to lean down. Sigyn began to panic. Was he going to kiss her!? She looked awkward she could feel it. The only thought running through her head was how terrible of a kisser she would be. Luckily for her, Ethelelda stopped Loki.

"I told you to say goodnight, not kiss her! You must not touch before the ceremony." 

Relief flooded Sigyn. No one would have to witness what was likely to be her disastrous attempt at kissing. Loki backed slightly away from Sigyn at Ethelelda's outburst and bowed.

"Goodnight m'Lady."

"Goodnight m'Lord." She replied with a curtsy.

Ethelelda led Sigyn off to her own private chambers and Loki felt suddenly empty. They had spent the past four days hardly leaving each other's side, and now they were separated just like that. Loki returned to Helblindi's chambers where his biological brothers instructed him on what the ceremony would be like. Loki paid attention, or at least feigned to do so, for what felt like hours but in reality was probably only fifteen minutes. Their task complete, they regulated him into a bedroom and made it very clear that he was not to leave there till someone came for him. Once he was finally alone, Loki began to roll his head around. He was fairly certain he was going to have a crick in his neck from having to look up to the Frost Giants all of the time. He contemplated not undressing at all for bed, but upon inspection the bed was well supplied with animal pelts so he would be able to keep warm if he only took off his outermost layer. As he removed the clothing he noticed that he was still wearing Sigyn's ring around his neck. Due to the hectic events of the day he had forgotten to give it back to her, and he made a mental note to do so tomorrow. The ring and the Mind Gem belonged with her. For the time being he tucked it safely back under his shirt and crawled into bed.

Sleep.

How could he sleep when his mind was racing?

Married.

He was actually getting married… tomorrow… to Sigyn…

He hadn't seen this coming. He wanted her, but marriage? The idea certainly didn't repel him, but the fact that she was being forced to marry him did. Loki determined that while Sigyn might be forced to marry him, he would not force himself upon her. Tomorrow evening when they would be expected to consummate the marriage he wouldn't take her, even though by legal rights he could. How could he live with himself if he allowed one of Thanos's visions to come true? He continued to lie silently in the giant bed. Who was he kidding? Sleep wasn't going to come to him tonight. Not without Sigyn.


	58. Butterflies for a Bride

Sigyn had hoped to rest a little before the ceremony, but she doubted that she would. Ethelelda had taken Sigyn to her room where three other female Frost Giantesses were waiting. The three helpers tried to figure out what they would do about Sigyn's attire and hair while Ethelelda explained to Sigyn how the ceremony would work. It seemed simple enough, a bit strange, but that was simply because it wasn't like anything she was used to. The three helpers along with Ethelelda pulled Sigyn away from any reflective surfaces, and commanded her to take off everything but her undergarments. Sigyn complied a tad reluctantly. She began to shiver as the cold air hit her exposed flesh, and she could feel the goosebumps beginning to rise on her arms. She began to heat her body with a spell, but the sudden glowing of her markings caused the three helpers to jump a bit away from her.

Sigyn threw them an apologetic look. "I am sorry. I am merely keeping myself from freezing, I did not mean to frighten you."

Ethelelda ran a finger over the markings on Sigyn's arm. "Is this also why you do not freeze when we touch you?" She asked curiously.

"I don't use a spell, no. My magic just naturally protects me I suppose." Sigyn explained.

"Will you be able to do this during the ceremony tomorrow?" She inquired.

"If I need to, yes."

Ethelelda looked contemplative a moment before instructing Sigyn to close her eyes. She could hear the Frost Giantesses murmuring amongst themselves, and then she felt different fabrics being draped around her. The women seemed to be debating a few things so Sigyn stood quietly feeling a bit like a doll. She stood patiently for thirty minutes as the women tried to create a design that was in line with their own traditions, yet warm enough for Sigyn. Finally Ethelelda told Sigyn that she could open her eyes. The three helpers were packing up the fabric, and Ethelelda was holding Sigyn's dress out to her.

"You must not leave these chambers." She ordered. "Tomorrow morning we will return for you."

Sigyn acknowledged the request, and then found herself standing alone in the room. She looked at the giant bed and sighed. She could reach out to Loki telepathically, but he was probably already asleep by now. Sigyn reluctantly went over to the bed and pulled back the covers before slipping in and pulling the furs up tight around her. She felt guilty that Loki had to go through with this. It wasn't fair that he had to wed her jut to keep their façade up. She closed her eyes and wished for sleep to come, and it eventually did.

The next morning Sigyn was awoken by the opening of her bedroom door.

"It is time to begin the preparations." Ethelelda informed her.

Sigyn rubbed her eyes and got out of the bed. She obediently followed Ethelelda into the adjoining bathroom, and her three helpers from the evening before returned. They insisted that she take off her clothing so that they could give her a purifying bath, but Sigyn was being stubborn. In her opinion being in her undergarments the day before had been enough humiliation. She had no intention of allowing these women see her nude. Ethelelda realized that Sigyn was not going to budge, so she made her a deal. The Frost Giantesses would allow Sigyn to get into the bath without them looking if Sigyn would agree to going through the purifying ritual. Sigyn looked at the bath and figured it would be difficult for them to see her body once she was in it due to the bubbles and thousands of little blue flowers that covered the surface. Feeling more at ease, she agreed to Ethelelda's bargain. The Frost Giant women turned to allow her a moment of privacy, and Sigyn quickly slipped into the surprisingly warm water. The women then turned around and began to gather their bath items. One of them began to pour a sweet smelling oil into the bath while Ethelelda began to rub some sort of ointment into Sigyn's hair. The other two began to soak sponges to clean Sigyn's body with.

Sigyn studied the women closely as they worked. Aside from Loki's two brief transformations, Sigyn had only ever seen pictures of Frost Giants in the tomes of the Royal Asgardain Library. The women were tall, though not quite as tall as some of their men. They wore more clothing than their male counterparts, but were far from appropriately clothed by Asgardian standards. The women also wore their hair long, unlike the men who shaved their heads. Their locks were colored like the feathers of a raven, just like Loki's. Some of the women wore their hair pulled back while others let it fall around their faces, but all of them had some sort of ornamentation. Headbands of bronze and blue beads interwoven into their braids were just a couple of the styles she saw. Their jewelry was also made mainly of bronze and blue beads, and it was all finely crafted. These women possessed a faded elegance that Sigyn couldn't help but be in awe of. They seemed so out of place in this ruined city. Sigyn was also interested in the raised markings on their bodies, and they seemed to be just as interested in hers.

The two women who had been preparing the sponges began cleaning her feet and lower legs sending Sigyn into endless titters. The women seemed amused by her obvious sensitivity until she started unconsciously kicking about, at which point they were more concerned about her accidentally crashing her foot into one of their faces.

"You must sit still." Ethelelda scolded.

"I am sorry… it is just…so… so…ticklish!" she managed to get out in between giggles.

"Why do you only have markings on half of your body?" One of the women asked in hopes of diverting Sigyn's attention from the cleaning.

"B…because I am only half Light Elf."

"Why do they sometimes glow?" Another one of the ladies asked.

"They glow when I am using my magic." Sigyn explained.

"Like when you read Helblindi's mind yesterday!?" The youngest of them asked excitedly.

"Yes." Sigyn replied with a smile.

The youngest looked like she was about to ask another question, but Ethelelda spoke first.

"That is enough questions ladies, Sigyn should be using this time to prepare her mind and heart for the ceremony."

The youngest obviously wasn't thrilled that Ethelelda had put a stop to the questions, but she didn't argue. Sigyn closed her eyes, and let the relaxing motions of Ethelelda washing her hair put her into a dream-like state. Ethelelda and the others finished their tasks, and Ethelelda held out a towel for Sigyn to wrap around her.

"You will need to keep yourself warm for a bit." She warned, and Sigyn quickly invoked a spell to do just that.

Ethelelda and the two elder ladies went off to get things ready for dressing Sigyn, while the youngest stayed with her. Neither spoke at first.

"What is your name?" Sigyn finally asked.

"Angrboda." The lady replied.

After a slight pause Angrboda spoke up.

"Could I…may I…touch your markings?" She asked bashfully. "It is just that they are so pretty when they glow…"

Sigyn smiled and nodded. Angrboda timidly reached out her hand and began to trace the markings on Sigyn's hand and lower arm. She imagined that the awe Angrboda had for her markings was the same awe she had had for Loki's. Angrboda quickly pulled away as Ethelelda returned with the other two women.

"We are ready for you." Ethelelda informed with a smile.

They led Sigyn to stand in the middle of the room, but Sigyn didn't see the outfit anywhere, and there were no mirrors for her to inspect herself once they were finished. Ethelelda had Sigyn put on her undergarments and close her eyes. Sigyn obeyed, and she felt the women pulling layers of clothing over her head. They then began to fasten things around her waist and shoulders. They spent some time adjusting everything before leading her somewhere else in the room and helping her sit down. Sigyn kept her eyes closed, but she knew that they had begun arranging her hair.

"So is he good in bed?" Angrboda asked with a giggle.

Sigyn could sense one of the other ladies smacking the girl on the arm, but it didn't stop the giggles.

"I do not know." Sigyn replied honestly, heat rushing into her cheeks.

"You do not know?" One of the ladies asked in surprise. "How can you not know?"

"I have never been intimate with Loki before." Sigyn excused.

"How can two runaway lovers not have been intimate before!?" The other lady asked.

"I…we… we didn't have time." Sigyn lied.

"Well I guess you are going to find out." Angrboda noted.

Sigyn must have looked surprised because Ethelelda started making a clicking noise with her tongue. "What did you think you would be doing tonight?"

"I do not know… sleeping?" Sigyn replied feebly. In all honesty she hadn't even thought about having to consummate the marriage.

The ladies all began giggling and chuckling at that response.

"Not likely…" One of them murmured.

"Not if he is anything like Helblindi." Ethelelda remarked with amusement in her voice.

Sigyn swallowed hard. Maybe this marriage thing had been a bad idea after all.


	59. Together but not truly one

Sigyn was on her feet again and the women had led her somewhere else. Once they came to a stop, Ethelelda told Sigyn to open her eyes and she found herself looking at her reflection. Sigyn brought her hands up to her mouth in astonishment. She looked radiant. The dress she wore was made of layers of a deep alice-blue chiffon-like fabric. The top of the dress stopped at the clavicle bone, and had one-inch straps that sat off of her shoulders. The layers of flowing fabric would normally have swallowed Sigyn, but thanks to the thick bronze belt at her waist, the top stayed tightly fitted to her body while the bottom flowed weightlessly around her. Her jewelry consisted of a large bronze necklace and bronze colored teardrop earings. Her makeup did nothing to give her skin any color. In fact, it seemed to enhance her pale features. Her eyes were lined with some form of kohl, which made the blue in them really gleam. Her lipstick was a light shade of blue, and her eyeshadow was a shimmering white. Her hair was in large loose curls that had been pulled up and decorated with dozens of the same blue flowers she had seen in the bath earlier. She gently fingered the delicate fabric of the wedding gown. Sigyn turned to face the Frost Giantesses standing behind her, her eyes aglow. She knew they must have stayed up all night to finish such a beautiful gown.

"Thank you so very much."

Ethelelda turned Sigyn back to face the mirror. "We are not done yet." She said, while pulling out a bronze tiara. "It is customary for the caretaker to bestow a gift from her wedding to their charge." Ethelelda explained before placing the tiara over Sigyn's head.

The piece would normally be too large for Sigyn, but it was enchanted so when Ethelelda placed it on Sigyn's temple it shrunk to fit her snugly.

Sigyn gazed at her reflection for a moment more before turning to Ethelelda and the others again. She opened her mouth to speak, but words wouldn't come out. Finally she opted to just throw her arms around Ethelelda. Ethelelda was surprised to say the least, but after throwing an amused look at the other women she wrapped Sigyn in a hug. Sigyn pulled back, and then hugged Angrboda and the other two women in turn. Before Sigyn could show her appreciation any more Ethelelda spoke up.

"It is time to go Sigyn."

"What!? Now?" Sigyn replied as nerves began to clench her stomach.

"Angrboda will go to inform Helblindi that you are ready, and we will escort you to the grand hall where your husband will be waiting for you."

Angrboda went to do as Ethelelda bid, and Ethelelda led the way to the grand hall. The closer they got, the sicker Sigyn began to feel. She was about to get married... to Loki… but surely this marriage didn't count… right? It was just a cover, and it wasn't like they were going to actually consummate the marriage anyway...

Loki felt like his stomach was twisting itself into knots. The second the Frost Giant woman had knocked on the door and told Helblindi that Sigyn was ready Loki's heart did a flip. Now he found himself walking to the great hall where he would marry Sigyn. Helblindi had gone on ahead since he would be performing the ceremony, but Býleistr had stayed back to show Loki the way. They reached the hall entirely too fast, and when they reached one of the side entrances Býleistr had Loki stop.

"Helblindi will indicate when you should enter." Býleistr informed him.

Loki nodded, and once he was alone he began to run his hands through his hair. He was wearing his full armor, aside from his helm, and his emerald cape swept behind him as he paced. What would Sigyn be wearing? They had mentioned having to make some alterations to her outfit so that she wouldn't freeze to death, but Loki didn't even know what traditional Frost Giant wedding gowns looked like. Was she nervous? Was she even going to show up? What if she backed out at the last second and left him standing up there alone and humiliated!? Loki felt like he was going to hyperventilate. If this was how he felt before having a fake marriage how would he feel before a real one? Well the ceremony itself was real enough at least. Before he could work himself up anymore Helblindi indicated that it was time for him to enter, and he knew that Sigyn would be coming in from the opposite side.

Loki took a deep breath.

Sigyn took a shaky step.

Loki glanced towards his biological brothers.

Sigyn looked at the crowd of Frost Giants that had come to witness the union.

Loki saw Sigyn.

Sigyn beheld Loki.

She looked like a snow princess.

He looked so handsome.

How could she appear so calm?

How was he able to stay so cool?

The two of them met at the center of the room and Loki offered his hand to Sigyn as he had been instructed to do. Sigyn placed her hand in his and they approached Helblindi. Sigyn's hand felt warm in Loki's, and that is when he noticed that her markings were glowing. He assumed that she was using some sort of spell to keep herself from freezing. Helblindi started talking, but Loki was hardly paying attention. All he could do was throw sidelong glances at Sigyn. The blue flowers in her hair matched the blue of her eyes, and for a moment Loki allowed himself to pretend that she really was his. Her breath was visible, and the little ice particles glimmered like her pale skin. It was Sigyn squeezing his hand that brought Loki's attention back to Helblindi. He was holding out a small ceremonial dagger and Loki grabbed it. He had been reluctant about this part of the ceremony when Helblindi and Býleistr had explained it to him, but there was no way around it. Loki turned Sigyn's palm up and grasped the dagger tightly in his hand. He let his eyes meet Sigyn's, and she gave him a reassuring smile. Loki pressed the tip of the sharp blade into her hand before he had a chance to lose his nerve. Sigyn's hand tensed momentarily in his, but she quickly relaxed it again and he continued his work. He was grateful that his first initial was a simple one as he drug the blade across her palm. Once he had finished drawing the 'L' on her palm he handed the blade over to Sigyn and upturned his left palm. Sigyn didn't even wince as she used her now bloody right hand to etch her own initial on his palm. The blade piercing his skin sent a sharp stinging sensation up his arm, but it was not as painful as he imagined it would be. Her task complete, Sigyn held out the knife for Helblindi to take. Loki grabbed Sigyn's bloody hand with his own and interlaced his fingers with hers. Helblindi then wrapped their hands together with a bandage. The bonding ritual complete, the Frost Giants present broke out into a cheer. In their eyes Sigyn and Loki were now united. Ethelelda and Býleistr motioned for the pair to follow them out of the hall and to their own personal chambers. The pair were closed inside the room, and then left to their own devices. Both Loki and Sigyn looked down at their joined bandaged hands.

"Should we undo the bandage?" Sigyn asked.

"They didn't say we had to keep it on." Loki reasoned.

Sigyn shrugged and led the way over to a pair of bowls that already had water inside and fresh bandages laid out next to them. Loki carefully removed the soiled bandage Helblindi had used and dunked his hand into the cool water. Sigyn quickly followed suit. After drying off her hand she used her magic to heal the cut, but was surprised to find that the 'L' on her palm was still slightly visible.

"Perhaps it will wear away with time." Loki encouraged.

"Perhaps." Sigyn replied with a shrug before taking Loki's hand and healing it as well.

"I could have done that myself you know." He pointed out.

"I know." She replied while shifting uncomfortably. "So…what now?" She asked nervously.

"Helblindi told me that a meal would be brought to us." Loki informed her. "After that …" Loki paused; he wasn't really sure how to put this delicately.

"We would theoretically have time to be intimate with one-another." Sigyn finally finished for him.

"Yes." Loki replied.

There was a knock on the door halting the discussion that was about to ensue, and Loki called for the knocker to enter. Several Giants entered the room and placed trays on the table in the sitting area. On the way out one of them, the same woman that had come to fetch Helblindi and Loki earlier this morning, sent Sigyn a wink. Loki glanced down at Sigyn and noted the intense pink that was now claiming Sigyn's usually pale cheeks. It was Loki's turn to shift uncomfortably. A woman that could blush at something so easily was extremely attractive to Loki. He momentarily imagined all of the things he could do to bring such a pretty color to Sigyn's cheeks, but quickly reprimanded himself. He had already sworn not to take her physically. Regardless of his promise to himself, Loki couldn't help the warm feeling that was beginning to manifest itself in his lower abdomen. To cover up his growing arousal, he quickly strode over to the table and began to fix himself some food. Sigyn followed, her lightweight gown flowing around her as if being blown by a breeze. They began to eat and talk happily. Sigyn told him about her pre-wedding preparations, but Loki could tell she was dodging a few topics. He didn't press the matter, and instead just listened to the sound of her voice.

Sigyn babbled on. She was far too nervous to hold her tongue. Loki seemed to be at ease though, which made her feel a little better. She wasn't sure if the topic of consummating their marriage was going to come up again, but Loki seemed far more interested in his food than being physically intimate with her. It made Sigyn's heart sink a little that he wasn't even a little interested in being with her, even if it was just this one time.

"So when are you planning on telling them about your hunt for the Infinity Gems?" Loki finally asked.

"I think we can trust them, but I am still not completely sure."

"Sigyn we just allowed them to marry us, you better be sure." Loki warned.

Sigyn cringed. "Maybe I will ask about it tomorrow. Ethelelda mentioned that we would receive a wedding gift from your brother, and that we would simply have to name it."

"You are going to ask for the Gem?" Loki asked a bit doubtful.

"No, merely its location."

Loki didn't reply since he didn't have a better idea. They continued sitting in silence after finishing their meal, and it didn't take a genius to tell something was bothering Sigyn.

"Why are you so silent?" He asked when the heavy silence was more than he could bear.

"Just thinking." She replied distractedly. "What time do you think it is?"

"Early evening, if I had to guess." He responded. "What are you thinking about?" He pried.

"Just what your family is expecting of us."

Loki sent her a confused look. "I don't think they are expecting anything of us."

"It is our wedding night, of course they are expecting something of us. Ethelelda made that _very_ clear this morning."

"They will never know the difference if we do nothing." Loki tried to encourage Sigyn.

Sigyn sighed in disappointment. "That is true." She replied.

Loki was a bit disheartened. Sigyn's sigh of relief was the final nail in the coffin. He really had thought on Nidavellir that she had wanted him, but apparently she was an even better actress than he had thought.

Sigyn noticed that Loki was getting restless, which wasn't like him. He kept shifting around in his seat, and he couldn't hold her gaze for more than a couple of seconds. What was causing him to act so distracted? Loki unexpectedly arose and headed towards their door.

"Where are you going?" She asked while also rising from her seat.

"I need to go out for a bit."

"Then I'll go with you." Sigyn offered.

Loki paused to look at his beautiful yet untouchable wife.

"No!" He replied in a harsher voice than he had intended to use.

Sigyn stopped in her tracks with a hurt look on her face.

"No," he tried again in a gentler tone "You should stay here and get some rest. I'll be back."

Loki used his magic to open the door and strode out of the room. The door closed with an ominous thud, and Loki made his way down the hallway. He had to get away from Sigyn, even if just for a little while, and clear his head. Every time he looked at her all he could envision was ravishing her every way he knew how. He had to get a hold over his roaming thoughts, and to do that he needed some fresh air. He wasn't sure what direction he was heading, but if felt right so he just kept walking. The corridors were empty as was the great hall when he reached it. He found himself standing in the same spot where merely hours before he and Sigyn had bound themselves to one another in a Jotun marriage. As he stood frozen he noticed a stairway at the back of the hall, and decided to see where it led. He took the stairs two at a time so he was a bit out of breath when he reached the top. The stairs led to a circular structure that had partly fallen in on itself. He moved closer to the collapsed building, and he instinctively knew where he was. This was where he had been left to die…

"Shouldn't you be with your wife?" Helblindi's voice asked.

Loki turned to face his biological brother. He wasn't sure how a Frost Giant could sneak up on him, but at the moment he didn't really care.

"She is resting." He explained.

Helblindi came to stand beside Loki.

"Resting?" He asked in a dubious voice. "You sound nervous."

"What would I have to be nervous of?" Loki scoffed.

"I don't know, you tell me. You should be enjoying your wife, yet here you are…"

"And where is here?" Loki asked to distract Helblindi.

"I think you already know."


	60. Livid in love

Author's Note: I am sure you have all seen this coming, but I feel I must warn you anyway. There are allusions to physical intercourse in this chapter. Yes, I said physical intercourse...I am not a fan of the 's' word...it just seems so crude. My friends all make fun of me for my squeamishness with that word (and the physical interaction it implies) so you have my permission to tease me about it too. As it were, I have one word that I kept in mind while writing the end of this chapter: classy! I did not want to leave out the physical aspect of Loki and Sigyn's relationship because it is VERY important, but I also didn't particularly want to be writing "50 Shades of Gray" Jr. (No, I have never read it, and I never will. No offense to those who do, it is just not my thing.) That being said, I hope that the end of this chapter hits the emotional importance of the physical interaction between Sigyn and Loki. Sorry for the longest Author's Note ever! I own nothing.

* * *

Sigyn just stood there dejected after Loki left. Sure she could follow him, but to what end? He would simply yell at her again. What had happened? Why was Loki acting so antagonistic towards her? What had she done to merit his scorn? Sigyn's temper began to flare at Loki's unjust treatment of her, and she marched into the bathroom with every intention of taking her hair down and changing her clothes. When she looked at herself in the mirror however, she lost the desire to. Ethelelda and the others had worked too hard to make her look beautiful for Sigyn to destroy their work out of spite for Loki. Sigyn took a deep breath to cool her temper, and was brought back to her senses by a knock on her door.

_"Pherhaps it is Loki…"_ Sigyn thought to herself before going to open it.

Like Loki, she had to use her magic to open the extremely heavy door, but the person who was standing outside was not someone she would have expected to see.

"Býleistr?" She questioned more than greeted.

"I thought I would come to check on the happy couple." The Frost Giant explained.

"We are fine." Sigyn lied.

Býleistr glanced about the room. "Where is Loki?"

"He went…out."

Býleistr gave Sigyn a suspicious look. "Out?"

"Yes, he said he would return soon."

"Ahhh I see. May I come in then?"

"I see no reason why not, I could use the company." Sigyn reasoned.

Býleistr went to sit on the couch, and Sigyn closed the door partially behind her.

"So where did Loki go out to?" He questioned.

"He didn't say, and I didn't question him about it." Sigyn replied as she took a seat on the couch opposite of Býleistr.

"Weren't you the least bit curious?"

"It is not my place to pry. Wherever he went, he must have had good reasons for going." Sigyn determined.

"I am sure he has his reasons, but I am not so sure they are good." Býleistr commented.

Sigyn knew she shouldn't take the bait, but she was far too curious not too. "Do not beat around the bush with me Býleistr, tell me your meaning or leave me be."

Býleistr smirked. "I can see why someone would want to marry you, you are quite the little fireball."

"Stop your flattery Býleistr, if you know where Loki is speak up. If not, need I remind you what fire does to ice?"

Býleistr held his hands up in defence. "No need to threaten, we are family now after all."

Sigyn threw him an apologetic look, and he continued speaking.

"I do believe I know where Loki has gone, but I don't think you will like it. Are you sure you still want to know?"

"I am sure I can handle the truth." Sigyn replied.

"I think he has gone to see another woman…"

Sigyn couldn't help but laugh at that.

"You must be jesting! Loki doesn't even know any other women here."

"Are you so sure about that? Isn't it true that Angrboda asked you about Loki's skills in bed?" He pressed.

"Yes, but that hardly means that he went to see her. She was just trying to make lighthearted conversation with me."

Býleistr laughed at this. "So naïve."

Sigyn stood from her seat in indignation. "These acusations are so unfounded that I cannot believe you would even dare to make them!"

"Are they all that unfounded? Such a heated reaction on your part indicates that you are doubtful of Loki's intentions. Did Angrboda do anything odd while helping deliver your meal?"

Sigyn didn't reply, and Býleistr took this as a "yes."

"Did Loki act oddly after you two were left alone?"

"Most men probably act oddly after they are wed, and Angrboda did nothing but wink in my direction as if it were some private joke!" Sigyn argued.

"Oh it is a private joke all right my dear, but the joke is on you. Loki has gone to be with Angrboda, and has left you here to your own devices."

Sigyn didn't want to believe Býleistr's remarks, but what if he was right? Loki seemed guilty about something before leaving, and he was adamant that she should not come with him. Jealously began to fester in her heart. He could have at least had the decency to wait till it wasn't their supposed wedding night…

Sigyn was so entrapped in her thoughts that she didn't notice Býleistr rise from his seat.

"I am sorry that I had to be the one to bear this news to you." He apologized.

"It is not news, merely speculation." Sigyn pointed out.

"You are acting like it is more than speculation, but maybe I can help lift your spirits."

Sigyn sent him a doubtful glance. "How?"

Býleistr didn't reply, but came up behind Sigyn. He leaned down so that he could speak into her ear.

"Close your eyes." He requested.

Sigyn was starting to feel uncomfortable with the situation, but Býleistr had been nothing but welcoming to her and Loki since they had arrived so she had no reason not to trust him. Her eyes fluttered shut. A pair of cool hands found their way to Sigyn's shoulders, and Sigyn automatically assumed that Býleistr was about to lead her somewhere. It was a logical enough assumption since that was how Ethelelda had led her around earlier that morning, but Býleistr's intentions were quite different. Instead of taking her somewhere, Býleistr began to run his hands from Sigyn's shoulders down her arms.

"Relax." He encouraged, but Sigyn's heart was racing.

Was he trying to woo her? What was going on? Should she pull away? Would he let her?

Býleistr's hands then moved to Sigyn's hips, and he pulled her flush against his own body. His cooler body temperature caused Sigyn to shiver, but Býleistr seemed to mistake it for some form of arousal. He traced one of his hands over her abdomen, and Sigyn knew she had to act. She tried to pull away from Býleistr, but his arm around her waist didn't allow her to budge. He was far too strong for her to overpower physically, but she felt bad attacking him over a misunderstanding.

"This is not a wise idea." Sigyn warned.

"And why is that? If your husband is allowed to have fun on his wedding night shouldn't you be entitled to as well?" Býleistr asked.

"Býleistr please let me go, I love Loki and I have no intention of betraying him like this."

Sigyn stayed motionless hoping that Býleistr would release her.

"Such a loyal wife, the 'god of mischief' doesn't deserve you…"

_"Loki… where are you? Get back here now!"_ Sigyn pleaded telepathically.

She wasn't sure if Loki had heard her calling out to him telepathically, but she needed someone to get there soon. It wasn't so much that she needed their help to get out of this predicament as it was for her to have a witness who could back up her reasons for attacking Býleistr if he didn't let go.

"Býleistr, I will not ask again." She warned.

"Your mouth is telling me to let go, but your body betrays you my dear. Elevated heart beat, trembling hands, ragged breathing…" Býleistr brought his lips down to the back of Sigyn's neck, and Sigyn knew she couldn't wait for assistance anymore.

Sigyn rammed the back of her head into Býleistr's, causing him to let go of her and place a hand over his now broken nose. Sigyn moved away from the Frost Giant and reached down for the dagger sheathed to her calf. Býleistr recovered from his initial shock and grabbed Sigyn's arm before she could completely free her weapon.

"What was that for?" He demanded.

"I warned you!" Sigyn defended.

Sigyn suddenly started to feel light headed. This seemed too familiar. Fighting, struggling, calling out for help. Sigyn felt as though she had experienced this before. She began to shake uncontrollably and a worried look crossed Býleistr's face.

"My Lady…"

Sigyn wasn't responding, and she suddenly began to fall forward. The anxious Frost Giant leaned in and grabbed her.

_"Loki…" _

Loki recognized that tone of voice. His heart began to race, and he suddenly turned and ran down the stairs. Helblindi was right on his heels.

"What is wrong?" Helblindi asked.

Loki was only able to get out one word as he ran across the great hall.

"Sigyn."

Helblindi stayed behind Loki as they approached the door to his and Sigyn's chambers. Loki began to panic at the sight of the cracked open door, and he quickly used his magic to blast it open all the way. The sight that greeted him and Helblindi when they rushed into the room was a bit confusing. Býleistr was supporting Sigyn, who seemed to be shaking all over.

"What is the meaning of this Býleistr!?" Helblindi demanded.

Býleistr gave his older brother a frazzled look. He began to try and stammer out some excuse but Sigyn stopped him.

"Do not be angry with your brother, this is simply a misunderstanding."

Loki noticed the Býleistr had a relieved look on his face.

"Býleistr had come to check on Loki and I, but when he realized that I was alone he offered to stay and keep me company till Loki returned."

"So why were you shaking and struggling to stand just now?" Loki asked in an agitated voice. Sigyn was covering up for Býleistr, and he wanted to know why. She had called out to him so there had to be a reason.

Sigyn's eyes glazed over. "I am not sure what happened…I was fine, and then…"

Sigyn began to shake again, and Loki realized what was going on. The spell he had placed on her all those many years ago was starting to break for some reason. Sigyn was having flashbacks of Forseti. He rushed forward and captured Sigyn in his arms. Helblindi signaled for Býleistr to follow him out of the room and Loki nodded his head in thanks. His brothers closed the door firmly on their way out, and Loki just stood there holding Sigyn. He kept hoping that maybe physical contact with him would somehow keep his spell in place. Sigyn finally stilled and Loki placed his chin on the top of her head.

"Are you ok?" He whispered.

"I am fine." Sigyn replied before pushing Loki roughly away from her.

Loki was confused by her sudden anger.

"What is going on Sigyn?"

"Nothing is going on, you may go back to your special friend now." Sigyn replied in a cold tone.

Now Loki was extremely confused.

"Special friend?" He asked.

"Angrboda, Býleistr told me about you and her." She accused.

Loki racked his brain for anyone he knew with that name.

"Sigyn I don't know anyone named Angrboda."

Sigyn gave a hollow laugh and tried to turn away, but Loki grabbed Sigyn and pulled her roughly to him. Sigyn tried to pull back from him, but Loki held her chin so she had to face him.

"I do not know anyone named Angrboda." He reiterated sternly.

Sigyn's eyes softened a little. "Then where were you?"

"In the temple, you can ask Helblindi he was with me."

Sigyn relaxed a little more but didn't respond.

"What is really going on Sigyn? You can tell me." He encouraged.

"I already told you what happened."

"I think you told me part of what happened. Why did you call out to me? Did Býleistr try to take advantage of you?"

Sigyn bit the inside of her lip for a moment. "He thought I wished for his attentions."

"And did you?" Loki asked, suddenly jealous.

"No, I did not." She replied firmly.

"What did he do to you?" Loki demanded.

"Nothing Loki, he did nothing." Sigyn assured him.

Loki didn't want to press her any further for fear of stirring up any of the memories he had suppressed. Býleistr had seemed genuinely frightened enough for Sigyn when Loki and Helblindi had come into the room so it was unlikely that he had intended her any harm. His mind at ease on that front, a small smile crossed Loki's lips.

"Why were you so upset when you thought I was seeing another woman tonight, and a Frost Giantess at that?"

Sigyn began to look a tad flustered. "I wasn't upset."

She was lying. Loki's heart began to beat faster. She was trying to cover something up.

"Sigyn…"

She couldn't meet his gaze and her breathing quickened.

She _did_ want him.

Loki was sure of it this time, but she had to say it. She had to admit her feelings for him without his prompting, otherwise he would always question whether or not he had manipulated her into being with him. It had to be her choice.

She had to _choose_ him.

"Loki… I…" Sigyn couldn't seem to finish her thought, and stamped her little foot in frustration.

The want, the frustration, and the need for her to make him understand began to boil over. She had kept her secret bottled up inside for so long that she felt as if she were loosing control, and in that moment Sigyn did the most impulsive thing she had ever done. She kissed him.

The force Sigyn used to pull him down to her caught Loki entirely by surprise. The kiss was quick but in it he could sense all the passion and carnal desire she had stored up for him and him alone. As she pulled back Loki could see the fear of rejection shining in her eyes, but Loki's shined down on her. He brushed his hand across her cheek and smiled. Sigyn was not just his wife for show, she was truly his, and in turn, he was hers.

Loki wasted no time in capturing her lips with his own, and in response she wrapped her arms tightly around his neck. He brought his hands to her waist and pulled her into him causing her to gasp and him to moan. He hadn't realized how ready for her his body actually was. Her gasp allowed him to claim her mouth with his tongue. Sigyn seemed especially nervous about this so Loki was sure to be gentle with her. He had to keep reminding himself that Sigyn was not nearly as experienced as he was. Once Sigyn showed signs of needing to breath, Loki moved his mouth from her lips to the section of her jawbone that lay right beneath her ear. He trailed light kisses across her jaw and down her neck causing Sigyn to giggle. Loki made a mental note of every spot that caused Sigyn to react for use at a later date. Loki could tell Sigyn was trying to keep her breath even as he kissed down her neck, and while he wanted to travel as far as her clavicle to see what other reactions he could elicit, it was too difficult because she was so much shorter than him. Instead, he reclaimed her mouth and began to try and undo the belt she was wearing. His fingers fumbled with the dang thing, and for the first time he realized that he was nervous. He had no idea why, but he was. Loki cursed under his breath, and Sigyn smiled into their kiss. She removed her hands from his hair and reached behind her to undo the belt. She made swift work of it, and Loki tossed the item on the couch. He then carefully removed the tiara from her head and placed it on a nearby table. That task complete, Sigyn began to pull Loki towards the bed.

She would never cease to amaze him. She was nervous, scared even, but she was willing to take this all the way. If that was what his wife wanted who was Loki to deny her? Loki allowed Sigyn to begin undoing his ceremonial armor. He could just remove it magically, but this would allow Sigyn to get to know his body better, and to give her some sense of control. Loki began to feel like he was baring more of himself than just his body to her as each layer slipped off. He was entrusting Sigyn with everything he had left, which admittedly wasn't much. She left him standing in only his undershirt and trousers. For now she was still too shy to undress him any further. Loki turned her so that her back was to him, and he began to undo the laces on her gown. Sigyn's pale skin glowed as Loki pulled the gown off her body tantalizingly slow, planting kisses along her back as it was exposed to him. She was trembling but she trusted him to take care of her, and Loki swore to himself that he would. He would always take care of Sigyn, his Sigyn.


	61. The morning after

Sigyn smiled as she opened her eyes the next morning. The feeling of Loki's cool naked body pressed against her and the sound of his heartbeat was soothing. Loki's left arm was securely around her shoulder, and he brought his right hand up to stroke the hair out of her face. She pulled the sheets up to cover her small chest. She was well aware that Loki had seen her naked the evening before, but she still didn't feel comfortable sitting around that way. Loki placed a soft kiss on her forehead.

"Good morning my love." He whispered softly.

"Good morning." She replied before snuggling her check into his chest and tracing patterns lazily on his abs with her left hand.

Loki found the motion to be slightly ticklish, but he wasn't going to complain since it was the lowest Sigyn had let herself wander so far. Little blue flowers were scattered all over the bed from Sigyn's hair, and Loki took one and tucked it behind her ear. Sigyn shifted slightly to look up at him causing her left leg, which was hooked around his, to pull at a slightly awkward angle. Where a shy smile normally would have graced her features, there was a pained grin. A chuckled reverberated in Loki's throat.

"Sore?" He asked knowingly.

Sigyn's cheeks flushed. "A bit…" she admitted.

"hmmm what am I going to do with you?" he teased.

"What do you mean 'what are you going to do with me'?"

"I had intend to have you again in less… traditional ways, but you are already sore after one evening. No, this will not do…" he informed.

Sigyn let out a shaky breath. She wasn't sure what other ways there were for him to have her, but it sounded interesting at least. "Well what can be done about it?"

"We will just have to improve your stamina." He noted.

"And how do you suggest we go about that My Lord?" She asked in a barely audible voice.

"Practice My Lady, practice." He whispered into her ear before suddenly flipping himself on top of her.

Sigyn let out a surprised squeal at the sudden movement. Loki supported himself on his hands, and looked down at her. Even after being raped by Forseti, and being with him, Sigyn still had a maiden's blush. Loki wasn't sure how that was possible, but he thanked the heavens for it. Her innocence seemed to make up for his complete lack of it.

"Loki as much as I would enjoy 'practicing' with you right now, we mustn't forget why we are here. I highly doubt Thanos will put his plans on hold so that we may enjoy our honeymoon." She pointed out.

Loki closed the distance between them, placing a kiss on her collarbone. "And I doubt that his plans are so imminent that we can't enjoy ourselves for ten more minutes." Loki countered.

"They very well could b…"

Loki crashed his lips onto Sigyn's before she could finish her thought, and her hands instinctively grasped onto his shoulders. He wrapped one arm around her waist and sat up bringing her with him. He pushed her up against the headboard and pinned her there with his body. Sigyn could do little but hang on to him, but that was fine with Loki. Her hands played with his hair as her tongue began to wrestle with his, and Loki realized that he had unintentionally lied to Sigyn. He wasn't going to last ten minutes…

Sigyn thought her heartbeat would never steady itself. Loki had collapsed back onto the bed once they had finished 'practicing.' Sigyn lay on top of his chest, and he was running his hands over her shoulder blades as she spoke.

"It has been seven days since the attack on Alfheim, and you said that we probably had five days at best before Thanos's next aggressive move…"

"That was before we foiled him on Nidavellir." Loki pointed out.

"If anything that should have made him even more eager to act." Sigyn reasoned. "He is going to attack at some point, and we need to determine where so that I can alert Thor."

Loki reached out to the chest next to the bed and picked Sigyn's ring off of it. He placed the chain around her neck.

"Perhaps Helblindi can assist us." He offered.

A knock on the door interrupted before Sigyn could agree with him.

"Sigyn. Loki. Are you awake?" Ethelelda's voice inquired.

"Yes." They answered in unison.

"Are you decent?" She pressed.

The two looked at each other and smiled.

"I suppose it would depend on your definition of 'decent.'" Loki finally replied.

"Well you should both _get_ decent if you wish to have any breakfast." She informed.

"We'll be along shortly." Sigyn assured.

Reluctantly the pair got out of bed and began scrambling for clothing. Sigyn put on her old undergarments, but fashioned herself a new dress magically. This one was a deep wine red with fur trimmed sleeves, collar, and hem. Loki was in his light armor, which was layered enough to keep him mildly warm. Their changing complete, the two left the room arm and arm towards the great hall. The Frost Giants had begun their meal, but Loki and Sigyn's appearance did not go unnoticed. Smirks and murmurs arose from those present. Sigyn knew what they must have been talking about, and she blushed. She mentally noted that she had been doing a lot of blushing the past couple of days but wrote it off as being a natural occurence for a new bride. Loki and Sigyn took the empty seats at the head table that Helblindi had left vacant for them.

"Did you sleep well?" The King enquired.

"Indeed, we did." Sigyn replied. "And you?"

"We slept very well." Helblindi responded, while throwing a meaningful look towards his wife.

Sigyn tried to hide a smile. Apparently she and Loki weren't the only ones that had been 'practicing' last night.

As breakfast was concluding Loki requested a private audience with Helblindi, which the Frost Giant agreed to. Since Giants were still lingering in the dining hall, the trio went to the Great Hall to talk.

"So why do you seek an audience with me brother?" Helblindi inquired.

It was odd hearing anyone but Thor refer to him as brother, but Loki shook the odd feeling off.

"Sigyn and I have a request to make of you."

"What kind of request?"

"Ethelelda had mentioned to me that we would receive a wedding gift from you, and that we would merely have to say the word to receive it." Sigyn explained.

Helblindi seemed amused. "My wife remembers everything. Yes, you need only ask, and if it is in my power to give it I will."

"For our gift…we wish to know the location of the Infinity Gem that Odin entrusted you with."

Helblindi was floored. Whatever he had been expecting her request to be that certainly had not been it.

"How do you know about that?" Helblindi asked in a concerned tone.

"Do not worry, it is not common knowledge." Sigyn assured him.

"So how do you know?" Helblindi prodded.

Sigyn hesitated a moment before pulling Frigga's ring out from its hiding place underneath her collar. "Because I have also been entrusted with a Gem."

Helblindi watched as the Mind Gem extricated itself from the center of the ring and began to float in Sigyn's hand. He stared at it in awe before Sigyn replaced the stone and ring in their former hiding places.

"Why do you wish to have the location of the Gem?"

"I only wish to ensure that it is well protected from Thanos." Sigyn explained.

"So the two of you were not merely runaway lovers?" Helblindi queried.

"Not _merely_." Sigyn emphasized.

Helblindi looked thoughtful for a moment. "You have been going from Realm to Realm in search of the Gems."

Sigyn nodded.

"And have you located them?"

"All save the one here and the one on Asgard." Sigyn replied.

"And of course you won't return to Asgard to search for the one there…" Helblindi mused.

"Given my circumstances we cannot." Loki noted.

Helblindi crossed his arms. "Where do you believe the Gem to be on Jotunheim?" He challenged.

Sigyn scrunched her brow in contemplation.

Alfheim, magic: Sylvath. Midgard, secrecy: S.H.I.E.L.D. Vanaheim, foresight: Lady Vileitha. Nidavellir, craftsmanship: Ivaldi. They were all fairly easy to figure out once Sigyn knew the connection, but what about Jotunheim? What where the Jotuns known for? Helblindi was smirking at her, and Sigyn swore she needed to have a conversation with Laufey's sons about the annoying nature of their little smirk. Helblindi obviously didn't think she was going to be able to figure it out, and she had every intention of proving him wrong.

Wait…Laufey's _sons_…

Sigyn's own little smirk crossed her face causing Helblindi's to fade.

"You know if you didn't want me to figure it out, you shouldn't have given me the answer earlier. Odin didn't just give each Realm's stone to a protector who embodied what other Realms knew them for, but protectors who were considered to be the embodiment of what their own people considered to be their most prized characteristic or skill."

"Your point?" Helblindi asked.

"Magic is considered by the Light Elves to be their most prized skill so Sylvath was chosen by Odin to protect a Gem. Frigga valued her ability to see into the future above any of her other talents just as the rest of the Vanir do, which is why the Infinity Gem was left to the most advanced seer. Ivaldi became the Emperor of Nidavellir because of the wealth he amassed, wealth he acquired by becoming the most skilled craftsmen of the Dwarves. Midgardians prize their right to secrecy more than any other Realm, and secrecy is a necessity for an intelligence agency like S.H.I.E.L.D. Jotunheim on the other hand, prizes something very different, something I wouldn't have thought of if I hadn't asked why you were so willing to take Loki back into your family…"

Helblindi began to smile.

"Very good Sigyn." He congratulated.

Loki quickly thought about the conversation that they had had two evenings ago, and Helblindi's words came back to Loki with a new meaning.

_"…family is as important to the Frost Giants as it is to the Asgardians." _

They celebrated together, they mourned together, and they were rebuilding their home together. The Jotun's cherished community, and above all, their families. So the Gem was either protected by the community as a whole, or by a specific family.

Family…

Loki's eyes widened as the realization hit him.

"Odin entrusted the Gem to you and Býleistr didn't he." Loki stated.

"He did." Helblindi confirmed.

"You knew… from the beginning you knew…"

"That you were my brother? Yes, we knew. Odin informed us."

Loki stood in shock.

"If you knew why were you so insistent that I prove it?"

"I wanted to see if you were willing to accept who you are by admitting it to us yourself."

Loki looked at Sigyn, and she seemed just as surprised by Helblindi's admission as he was.

"So if you and Býleistr are protecting it, where is it?" Sigyn asked.

"You've already seen it. In fact, you've already held it."

Sigyn thought about anything she might have seen and held that could have contained the Gem, and she looked down at her right hand. The "L" was pretty much invisible now.

"It is in the blood bonding dagger." She determined. "It is one of the decorative Gems. I didn't notice it during the ceremony because of the adrenaline and the fact that my markings were already glowing due to the spell I was using to keep warm."

"You are a clever girl. I am curious though, why bother to ask me at all?" Helblindi asked. "You can see into memories and use the Mind Gem to read thoughts, you had no real need to ask."

"Think of it as a show of trust. I believed that you would tell me the truth, but do not mistake me; I would not have hesitated to use my abilities if you had tried to hide the truth from me. My first priority is the safety of the Nine Realms."

"So you were not afraid then to use the power of the Gem because of its addictive properties?" Helblindi pressed.

Sigyn sighed. "That certainly influenced my decision." She admitted.

"Do you wish to see where the knife is kept?"

Sigyn nodded and Helblindi led her and Loki to the chamber it was stored in. As impressive as the giant bronze doors were, Sigyn knew that they would be no match for Thanos should he choose to attack. The room was large and the knife sat in the center on an ice pedestal. Sigyn examined the chamber closely. There wasn't a significant trace of magic in the chamber so she assumed the Gem was not protected in that way. The only thing that looked like it could even pose a threat were the four very large beastly statues that stood in each corner of the room. Sigyn wandered past Helblindi and Loki to examine one of them. She was reaching out to touch it when Loki grabbed her hand.

"I wouldn't suggest doing that my love."

"Why ever not? It is merely a statue, no harm ever came from touching a statue."

Loki rolled his eyes. He had known that she was going to start quoting that Midgardian movie.

"It is no statue Sigyn. Believe me, Thor and I came across these monsters the last time we were here."

Sigyn pulled her hand back and looked over her shoulder to Helblindi.

"Is this the only protection the Gem has?" She inquired.

"Aside from myself and Býleistr? Yes."

"It wouldn't be enough if Thanos decided to attack. How are the beasts awakened?"

Loki replied before Helblindi could. "It is a bloodbonding knife, it recognizes those people that have had their blood come into contact with it."

"Till yesterday, this knife had only ever been used by Ethelelda and myself." Helblindi explained.

"At your own wedding." Sigyn theorized.

Helblindi nodded.

"May I?" She asked while indicating the dagger.

"Of course." Helblindi allowed.

Sigyn went over and picked it up. She determined that the yellow stone on the top of the hilt had to be the Reality Gem. Her markings began to glow, as she suspected they would. She considered the different methods she had used to protect the other Gems, and she determined on a course of action.

"I think we have seen enough." She stated before placing the dagger back on its pedestal.

The trio exited the chamber, and Sigyn paused a moment to enchant the doors to the room. She ensured no one could enter the chamber by teleportation, and then placed a secondary charm that blocked everyone except Býleistr from opening the doors. When she informed Helblindi of this he showed signs of confusion.

"Why Býleistr? He can't remove the dagger from the pedestal."

"That is why I have chosen him. Anyone who wants the dagger must have both Býleistr and you, Ethelelda, Loki, or myself to retrieve it."

"And if Býleistr were to die?" Helblindi inquired.

"Then the Gem is lost to all, which might not be such a bad thing." Sigyn determined.

"I think it is time we have a family discussion." Loki interjected.

Helblindi looked down to him. "About?"

"About Thanos."


	62. A new plan

Sigyn, Loki, Helblindi, Býleistr, and Ethelelda sat in the living area that was located right outside of Helblindi and Ethelelda's personal chambers. Loki had broached the topic of Thanos's impending threat, and he was trying to get whatever intel the Frost Giant's had on the Titan's movements from his brothers. Sigyn sat back quietly and observed. Loki had much more experience in military strategy and gathering intel than she did. She marveled at his ability to control his emotions when others might have betrayed frustration at the lack of information. Helblindi obviously knew very little about Thanos's recent movements. From all the accounts he was hearing through his network, Thanos didn't seem to be doing anything aside from waiting.

"What could he possibly be waiting for?" Sigyn remarked.

"Supplies, Ivaldi to recreate the Gauntlet, our capture… there are dozen things he could be waiting on." Loki pointed out.

"So everyone is at a standstill." Sigyn lamented. "We've done what we can do to protect the Infinity Gems and Gauntlet, Thanos is waiting for something, and I have no information to give Thor so he can move against him!"

"Thor is going to move against Thanos?" Býleistr asked, perking up a bit.

"He has Odin's permission to lead the Asgardian forces against Thanos." Sigyn stated.

Býleistr seemed very excited now. "Asgard is going to take Thanos head on?"

"Not head on, Thor only has permission to use the army as a countermeasure." Loki clarified.

"Which is why it is so frustrating!" Sigyn fumed. She stood and began to pace the room. "As long as Thanos sits around doing nothing Thor can't engage him in battle, and we have no clue where he is going to strike next!"

Loki contemplated their unfortunate position for a moment before the solution to their problems struck him.

"All Thanos needs to make an aggressive move is a little push." He mused aloud.

Sigyn stopped her pacing and looked his way.

"A push? What kind of push?"

"One that I can give him. If Thanos starts to muster his troops Heimdall will take notice and inform the AllFather…"

"Giving Thor an opportunity to call for a countermeasure in the name of heading Thanos off." Sigyn finished.

"How can you manipulate Thanos into move his troops?" Helblindi queried.

"By making an appearance." Loki replied.

"You want us to go behind enemy lines and stir up enough trouble to cause Thanos's troops to panic." Sigyn determined.

"No, _I_ am going to go behind enemy lines and stir up enough trouble to cause Thanos's troops to panic. You are staying here or on Asgard."

"And when did you suddenly get to make these decisions for me? You are not going to Titan alone!"

Loki grabbed Sigyn by the shoulders and she began to pout. As admittedly cute as it was, Loki was not going to let that face sway him from his decision.

"I am the 'god of mischief' Sigyn, stirring up trouble is my specialty…"

"And standing by those I love is mine!" Sigyn protested.

Loki tried to interject, but Sigyn kept speaking.

"If you go in there by yourself you will die, and you know it. There won't be enough time for Thor and the Avengers to come and save you."

"And if you go with me you will die too."

"Better that I die by my husband's side than live a widow."

Sigyn's gaze bore into Loki. She wasn't going to back down, and he knew it. If he didn't let her come with him she would simply follow him, but he couldn't stand the thought of Thanos catching hold of her. The Other had been right. She wouldn't last long under their torture.

"She is going to go with you whether you approve or not." Ethelelda stated.

Ethelelda's comment reminded Loki that there were three Frost Giants witnessing this little lovers spat, and he suddenly felt a tad embarrassed. Loki slid his hands down from Sigyn's shoulders to her hands.

"I know." He relented, bringing her hands to his lips.

"I have to tell Thor." Sigyn reminded Loki.

"He will not like it." Loki noted.

"No, he will not…" Sigyn agreed.

"Then don't tell him." Helblindi interjected. "You said yourself that Heimdall would inform the AllFather of any changes in Thanos's camp."

"Yes, but it feels almost cruel not to contact Thor at least once before…" Sigyn looked into Loki's eyes "before Loki and I make our move."

"I never said that you shouldn't contact him, I just said that you shouldn't tell him of your plan."

"Then what news should I contact him with?" She asked.

"The news that Jotunheim will stand with him against Thanos." Helblindi replied definitively.

Býleistr looked thrilled, and Loki and Sigyn gawked at him.

"You mean that you wish to fight alongside Asgard?" Sigyn finally managed to ask.

"You seem surprised." Ethelelda noted.

"I am… its just that Asgard and Jotunheim have never fought together before." Sigyn pointed out.

"No we haven't," Helblindi agreed "but we have rebuilt too much to allow Thanos an opportunity to destroy it."

"So the only question left is when." Býleistr stated.

Sigyn and Loki looked at one another again.

"You could inform Thor now, and we could go tonight." Loki suggested.

"No, I want to give Thor a more advanced warning." Sigyn stated. "_We_ will go to him tonight, and tomorrow evening we will make our move."

"One last night." Loki breathed.

"One last night." Sigyn repeated.

Ethelelda sent a significant look to Helblindi and Býleistr, and the two of them acknowledged her unspoken meaning.

"There is much that needs to be prepared before tomorrow. I would suggest contacting your brother as soon as you can." Helblindi encouraged before he, his wife, and younger brother left the room.


	63. Sigyn's final blessings

Loki and Sigyn left for their own chambers. Once inside, Sigyn took her necklace off and unsheathed her dagger.

"We should go to Thor now." She insisted. "I can use the power of the Mind Gem to project our images to Asgard."

"For how long?" Loki asked.

"Long enough." She assured.

Sigyn held one hand out to Loki, and he grasped it tightly. Loki let his own magic flow into Sigyn to make the projection easier. His body felt frozen in place as his mind was transferred to Asgard. Sigyn and he stood fully projected in Thor's bedroom.

"Really Sigyn? Is this the best place you could have taken us?"

"It is the only place I could be assured no one else would be." Sigyn defended.

"Thor might not return here for hours." Loki lamented.

"He and the others will be along shortly."

"You spoke to him before we projected here didn't you." Loki reasoned.

"Of course I did not, you know I can't speak to someone telepathically if they are in a different Realm. I contacted him the moment we arrived."

Loki leaned against the frame of Thor's bed.

"I never thought I would be in here again." He mused.

"Technically you aren't." Sigyn pointed out.

Loki responded by grabbing Sigyn around the waist and pulling her in to him.

"Would you like a preview of what I plan to do when we get back?"

Sigyn smirked. "Right here in Thor's chambers? Scandalous!" She teased.

"Well since we aren't actually here…" Loki reminded her before bringing her in for a kiss.

It wasn't quite as pleasing to kiss Sigyn's projection as it was to kiss the real her, but all in all it was still pretty satisfying. Sigyn could only run one of her hands through his hair since the other one held her dagger and ring. Loki made a little pouting noise at the lack of attention that particular hand was giving him, and Sigyn pulled her lips far enough away so that they merely brushed his own.

"Do not be so needy, this is just the preview after all." She scolded before doing something truly shocking.

Sigyn moved her lips from Loki's mouth to his partially bared neck. Loki was unable to stifle a surprised pant as her warm lips moved up his neck to his jaw.

_"The little vixen…" _He reveled silently to himself.

If Loki didn't know better he would have mistaken Sigyn for an experienced lover. Unable to take her teasing any longer however, Loki took over her mouth once again, which was unfortunately how they were standing when Thor, the Avengers, Agent Hill, Lady Sif, and the Warriors Three came bursting into the room.

"Loki?! Sigyn!?" Thor exclaimed.

The pair pulled away from each other slightly and smiled.

"That girl was right, he does have the hots for her…" Stark whispered to Banner.

Thor took a step towards Loki and Sigyn unsure of what to make of this new revelation.

"Oh Thor, do not gape." Sigyn admonished. "Do not pretend that you are so utterly shocked by the sight you beheld upon your intrusion that you cannot form a coherent thought."

"I do not think entering my own chambers on your request can be considered an intrusion." Thor mentioned.

"Duely noted." Loki replied.

"What has brought you here?" Thor quickly asked. "Heimdall will soon alert the AllFather of your presence."

"No he will not, for we are not actually here. We have projected our likenesses, but our bodies are far from Asgard." Sigyn assured.

"Then what news have you brought?" Thor asked again. 

"Thanos's forces are about to be on the move." Sigyn explained.

"How do you know?" Agent Hill asked.

"I just do." Was her curt reply.

"Sigyn, tell me. Who gave you this information?" Thor demanded.

Sigyn gave him a reassuring smile. "Thor, just trust me."

"I also bring news from Jotunheim." Loki added before anyone else could question Sigyn.

"Jotunheim?" Sif asked incredulously.

"Yes, Jotunheim." Loki affirmed cooly. "My brother Helblindi sends word that he shall stand by you when you move against Thanos."

Thor was too stunned to speak.

"Your… _brother_?" Fandral remarked. "What do you mean your brother?"

"I am a Frost Giant, didn't you know?" Loki asked in a sarcastic tone.

Lady Sif and the Warriors Three looked to Sigyn and Thor to disprove Loki's words, but the two half-siblings did not deny Loki's statement. Before the situation could get out of hand, Sigyn left Loki's side and approached her friends.

"I cannot keep up the projection for much longer. I fear Thanos might trace my magical energy. This is the last we shall meet before the battle, but before I go I must place a spell on the Midgardian's, otherwise they will not survive the environment of the battlefield."

"You sound as if you know where this battle will take place." Thor noted with suspicion in his voice.

"I do." Sigyn answered.

Without another word to Thor she approached Agent Barton and placed her right hand over his heart.

"May your heart be as perceptive as your eyes, and my your quiver never be empty."

Clint blinked a couple of times, but didn't reply since Sigyn had moved in front of Natasha.

"May your gifts always allow you to stay one step ahead of the enemy."

She then approached Dr. Banner, and addressed him in the same fashion.

"May your rage never cloud your reason."

A definite trend was revealing itself as she spoke to Tony.

"May you trust your mind over your machine."

As she stepped in front of Steve she held the ring out for him to take.

"For good luck." She explained.

Steve hesitated, but took the proffered ring and slipped the necklace over his head.

"Thank you Sigyn."

"May you stay true to the mission when others falter." She stated before going to stand in front of Thor.

She held out her dagger to Thor. "May you pierce the heart of Thanos so that he knows what hel can be brought down by the 'god of thunder' and his kin." She charged.

Thor took the proffered dagger.

"I will." He swore to her.

Sigyn gave him a half-smile, but there was no amusement in her eyes. This was it, this was likely the last time she would see her half-brother. What should she say? Despite her best efforts only one thing came to mind. She threw her arms around his shoulders.

"I love you." She whispered.

"and I you." He returned, while squeezing her tight.

Those standing behind Thor could see the tears rolling down Sigyn's face, but only Loki could see Thor's piercing blue eyes. He knew. Loki knew that he did. Green orbs held blue ones and memories of battles fought together rushed through Loki's mind. It seemed wrong that Loki would not fight his last battle by Thor's side, and Loki felt strangely saddened by the thought. Two weeks ago the mere mention of Thor would have disgusted him, but now that it was all coming to an end Loki felt a certain emptiness at the separation. Deep down he truly loved Thor, and that is why he was so angry with him. A lesson learned too late. Whatever reconciliation he inwardly desired would soon be buried with him. Loki's only consolation was that he wouldn't have to face that end alone. The woman he loved would be by his side.

"My love, its time we go." Loki intoned.

Sigyn stepped away from Thor her eyes now dry. She didn't want his last image of her to be a sobbing little girl. With a smile she gave her final farewell.

"Till we meet again."

With that, they were gone. Those left in Thor's chamber stood in somber silence.

"You do realize what they are going to do don't you." Stark eventually stated.

Thor gripped Sigyn's dagger tightly.

"I do." He answered.

Everyone in the room had a pretty good idea of what Sigyn and Loki's plan was, and its consequences.


	64. One last night

Author's Note: I am back! I know it has only been a week or so since I last posted, but it certainly feels like it has been longer. I will warn you that there is implied sexual activity in this chapter, but the same rule that applied to Sigyn and Loki's wedding night applies here: KEEP IT CLASSY! I will admit that this chapter was a bit of a risk for me given the content. I just hope that the thoughts, fears, and emotions they experience in this scenario are somewhat realistic. I own nothing! Enjoy :)

* * *

Sigyn felt a mixture of relief and sadness wash over her as she and Loki found themselves reunited with their own bodies again. Tonight she would spend with Loki, tomorrow they would rest, and tomorrow evening she and Loki would set out on what was likely to be their final mission.

"Are you hungry?" Loki asked while interlacing his fingers with hers.

"A little." She admitted.

Loki smiled at her, and they went in search for some sort of kitchen. In all honesty they had no idea where they were headed, but the activity forced them not to dwell on their goodbyes with Thor. They meandered casually about the halls just taking in the other's company. After a little while they crossed paths with one of the Frost Giantesses who had helped prepare Sigyn for the wedding, and Sigyn politely asked her where they could find a kitchen. The Giantess looked a bit surprised by the question, but graciously showed them to the kitchens. There were already Giants beginning to prepare the evening meal when they walked in, and most of them stopped to glance towards the couple.

"Lady Sigyn!" A familiar voice greeted.

Sigyn turned to see an excited Angrboda heading their way.

"What brings you here?" The Frost Giantess asked upon reaching Loki and Sigyn.

"We were hoping to have dinner in our chambers this evening…" Sigyn explained.

"Of course!" Angrboda exclaimed. "Come and show me what you would like to eat."

Loki made a move to follow the two women when Angrboda turned around.

"Not you Lord Loki, you should go stand out of the way." Angrboda admonished.

Loki did as he was told, but kept a close eye on Sigyn and the Giantess as they chitchatted about something.

"So how was it?" Angrboda asked Sigyn in excitement.

Sigyn smiled knowingly. "I certainly enjoyed myself."

The two continued to talk as Sigyn helped Angrboda pick out a few dishes for her and Loki to take back with them. Sigyn noticed that Loki never took his eyes from her as she worked, and her heart fluttered. He looked so handsome when he concentrated. It didn't take long to gather what they needed, and Angrboda handed Loki the wine and cutlery they would need for the food.

"I hope you enjoy your meal." Angrboda said with a smile.

"I am sure we will. Thank you for your help Angrboda." Sigyn thanked.

Loki gave a slight start at the realization of who the Frost Giantess was, but recovered in time to give his own thanks.

"That is who you thought I was with?" Loki asked as they made their way back to the bedroom.

"Yes." Sigyn admitted sheepishly.

Loki began to chuckle at her embarrassment. "I have a jealous wife."

"and I a jealous husband. You thought that I had desired advances from Býleistr." Sigyn accused.

Loki used his magic to open their chamber's doors before responding.

"No, I am a possessive husband. I don't like sharing my wife with others."

Sigyn 'tched' at him. "Possessiveness is not good for a healthy relationship." She warned. "It makes it seem as though I am no more than object for your ruling."

Loki placed his load down and relieved Sigyn of hers.

"I know you too well to believe that you would allow me to make you a mere object of my own amusement." He crooned as he took her in his arms.

"Charming words, but how do I know you truly mean them." Sigyn countered.

Loki shifted his eyes up and to the left as he pondered her question. A devilish smile played on his lips, and his gaze returned to hers.

"Because tonight I am an object for _your_ ruling. Whatever you say goes."

Sigyn looked a tad unsure of herself for a moment, but an excited smile lit up her features anyway.

"How can I refuse such an offer?" She conceded.

"So where shall we start m'Lady?" He asked in the most sensual voice he could manage.

"Dinner." She stated while suddenly pulling away from him and sitting on the couch.

Loki let out a single breathy laugh and shook his head. Something told him that he might regret this deal before the evening was out. He went to sit across from her and as they ate Sigyn began to talk about their life before all of this. Before Loki knew what he was, before he and Thor had begun to compete for the throne, and before Sigyn had even fallen in love with him. Their childhood seemed ages ago, and technically it was. Sigyn suddenly fell silent, and Loki could see that something was nagging at her.

"Is something wrong Sigyn?" He asked gently.

"It is just… I didn't bleed…" She replied without making eye contact.

Loki set his plate down and sighed. He had hoped that she wouldn't notice that little detail once they had finished coupling.

"I think you know why Loki, I think there is something you aren't telling me."

Loki clasped his hands in front of him and looked at the floor. Sigyn was kneeling at his side in a matter of seconds resting her hands on his knee.

"Loki please tell me. Yesterday I was having strange visions when you found me with Býleistr, and when we were together I didn't bleed. Why?" She practically begged.

What did it matter now if she knew? Come tomorrow evening they would both probably be dead anyway.

"I was trying to protect you from the truth Sigyn." Loki prefaced. "After a banquet Forseti… he forced himself upon you. Thor and I came to assist you, but we were too late. I supressed the memory with a spell, but your encounter with Býleistr yesterday must have caused it to falter."

"Who knows of this?" Sigyn asked.

"Only Forseti, Thor, Lady Sif, Stark, Dr. Banner, and myself." Loki replied.

Sigyn grabbed Loki's clasped hands with her's.

"Thank you, for protecting me… I could have handled the truth, but I am grateful that I have family and friends who are willing to take risks in my name."

Sigyn then stood from her kneeling position. What was in the past was no longer relevant, and what was in the future was out of her control. The only thing that mattered right now was being with Loki. He had given her permission to rule, and rule she would. There was no need to be shy anymore. If she wanted to try something new, now was the time to do it. She made her way towards the bed and threw a glance over her shoulder.

"Are you coming?" She asked Loki in what she hoped was a sultry voice.

Loki grinned. Sigyn was trying so hard to be seductive, but for some reason her idea of sultry still struck him as cute more than anything. It was still arousing to him though so he wouldn't complain. Loki stood up and went over to where Sigyn stood. She had worn her hair down with a section at the front twisted to the side, and she pulled all of it over one shoulder.

"I could use your assistance with the laces on the back." She mentioned.

Loki approached her from behind and began to untie the laces in question. He started placing soft kisses on her neck, but she interrupted him.

"Did I give you permission to do that?" She asked with one eyebrow quirked.

Loki smiled inwardly as he replied. "Forgive me m'Lady, the temptation was too great to resist."

Sigyn didn't reply and Loki continued to unlace her dress. This was already starting to surprise him. He hadn't really expected Sigyn to take her role so seriously, but he wasn't going to complain. He hadn't been lying to Ivaldi about not sticking to the conventional. If Sigyn wanted to be in control he would gladly let her.

"All done m'Lady." Loki informed Sigyn once he had finished with the laces.

Sigyn slipped the gown off her shoulders, and it silently pooled at her feet. She was left standing in her bodice and underskirt, and she turned to face Loki.

"Your turn." She stated before going to sit on the edge of the bed.

"And are you not going to assist me?" He queried.

Sigyn shook her head 'no' with a smug look on her face. Loki merely shrugged. If it was a show she wanted, it was a show she would get. His light armor was easier to take off than his ceremonial armor from the day before, but it was by no stretch of the imagination simple. He began with his vambraces. He made quick work of the straps and then let them fall to the ground. He slipped his boots off, and it wasn't long before his pauldron found itself lying next to his vambraces. His heavy leather trench slid off of his shoulders and hit the floor with a thud. He removed the protective armor that covered his legs and arms next. The protective sleeveless shirt that was crafted from interwoven layers of leather and fabric was the last piece of his outerwear that he removed. He was about to take off his long sleeved green undertunic when Sigyn stopped him.

"That can remain on for now." She instructed.

He was left standing only in his leather trousers and undershirt.

"Very well My Lady. What would you have me do next?" He inquired curiously.

Sigyn stood and began to circle Loki. She slowly ran her hand lightly over his chest and back as she circled. Loki wasn't sure if she was contemplating her next move, or if she was just working up the courage to go through with something she already had planned. After going around him three times she finally stopped in front of him and placed her right over his heart. She stood motionless with her eyes closed as she felt it beat underneath her hand for a few moments, then without warning she traced it up over Loki's bared throat. The soft touches caused Loki's pulse to race. How could something so soft and so innocent set his heart racing? As her right hand flitted over the sensitive skin of his neck her left began to play with the hem of his tunic. Loki stood as still as possible. He was almost afraid that if he breathed too suddenly Sigyn might lose her nerve and bolt. Unexpectedly, Sigyn looped the pointer finger of her left hand over the top of his trousers and began to pull him towards the bed. Loki didn't resist her tugging, and when she pressed on his chest he quickly complied with her silent demand to get onto the bed. Loki rested up against the headboard and watched as Sigyn hiked up her underskirt and jumped up onto the bed after him. She quickly straddled his waist before pulling his shirt up and over his head. She then guided his hands to her waist and placed them there delicately.

"As much as I enjoy being in charge, I admittedly need some assistance." Sigyn confessed quietly.

"And how may I assist you?" Loki asked.

"By closing your eyes, and being as silent as possible." She instructed.

Loki wasn't sure how that was going to help her, but he didn't argue. His eyes closed and Sigyn shifted her weight closer to him. One of her hands stayed on his chest while the other went to the side of his neck. It wasn't till she began kissing him that he realized the purpose for the hand on his neck. She was monitoring his pulse. Sigyn was trying to gauge what Loki liked by what literally got his blood pumping. Clever girl. Her kissing was timid at first, but as Loki promised he let her lead.

As Loki's pulse quickened Sigyn's courage grew. She hadn't managed to do anything too wrong yet so she took a chance and licked Loki's lower lip. That is what he had done the night before to ask for entrance to her mouth, so Sigyn hoped that the same signal would work for her. To her joy it did. Loki granted her access, and refrained from fighting her as she explored his mouth with her tongue. Her lungs eventually began to burn from the lack of oxygen so Sigyn pulled back. She caught her breath before kissing Loki along his sharp jaw line. This caused his pulse to beat subtly faster so she extended the trail from his jaw to his neck. The lower her lips traveled the faster his pulse became. When she finally reached his collarbone she ceased her kissing and moved her hand from his heart down to his lower abdomen. She toyed with the top of his trousers causing his pulse to race. He shifted slightly under her and let out a small moan. Sigyn immediately withdrew her hand and placed a finger to his lips.

"I thought I instructed you to stay silent." She scolded playfully before kissing him.

It was maddening. Sigyn was going to completely undo him without even removing his pants. After his traitorous moan, she had started her routine all over again. She was currently working her magic on the most sensitive area of his neck, and it took all of Loki's self control not to let out a sound. Instead, he transferred his sexual frustration into massaging Sigyn's sides. She hadn't banned him from doing that, and apparently it was still within the rules since she hadn't started her routine over yet again. Her fingers finally played at the top of his pants once more, and Loki couldn't help but marvel at her. Who would have thought that so little could do so much. Loki was a fairly experienced lover, and never in all his centuries of lovemaking had a woman affected him so easily.

Sigyn wasn't sure if Loki even realized how his heart was pounding, and how his breathing was labored. He was certainly channeling his desirous inclinations into the hands that were at her waist. She had considered scolding him for the act, but it filled her with pride that he was so desperate to release his sexual tension that she let it slide. She didn't know how long she had been at her teasing, but she decided that she had made Loki wait long enough. She scooted a little further down Loki's thighs and slowly undid the laces on his trousers. The movement caused Loki to suddenly squeeze her waist and Sigyn had to hold in a giggle. She was a bit too ticklish for her own good. Sigyn's heart was now pounding. She had intended to deprive Loki of his pants, but she suddenly wasn't sure if she had the nerve to do it.

_"He is your husband, its ok…its ok…its ok…" _She kept repeating to herself as she braced her hands on his hips.

Loki's eyes were still obediently shut so Sigyn closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and pulled his pants off of his hips.

Loki felt much less uncomfortable now that he had been partially released from his pants. He could feel Sigyn quickly slide the leather garment down and off of him the rest of the way. She repositioned herself, and the reapplied pressure of her weight was driving Loki crazy. He wasn't sure how much longer he would be able to last. He also couldn't help but note that he was entirely naked while Sigyn was still partially clothed. It hardly seemed fair, but per his agreement he couldn't complain.

"You can open your eyes now." Sigyn invited.

Loki complied, and the sight that greeted him was a bit startling. Sigyn was no longer wearing her normal undergarments. This outfit was something Loki had never seen before. The top reminded him of the bodice she always wore except for it was strapless and made of some sort of emerald silk. The bottoms she wore looked like tiny shorts that were made with…ruffles? Her underwear was ruffly? Who thought of that? Loki looked at Sigyn in wonderment. Where had she gotten the inspiration for this outfit? Loki thought back to when they were on Midgard and Darcy had been showing Sigyn all of those magazines. There had been a few that Darcy made sure Loki hadn't gotten a look at, and he was willing to bet that was where Sigyn had gotten the idea from. Sigyn shifting brought Loki back to the present moment, and he looked deep into her eyes. She was nervous. She was waiting for some sort of sign from him that he approved, and he quickly gave her the desired signal.

"What is your next wish m'Lady?" He asked while letting one of his hands trail over her ruffly bottom.

Sigyn leaned in and whispered into his ear. His eyes widened in surprise at her request.

"If the Lady insists…" He replied with a smirk.

…

Sigyn's stamina was astonishing. After her soreness from the night before Loki had thought that she was surely lacking it, but he was proved quite wrong. While he had thoroughly enjoyed Sigyn's turn at ruling, he needed her now. He needed to become one with her again.

"Princess, I believe it is nearly midnight." He observed.

"And what is so significant in that Prince Loki?" She asked.

"I said that the _night_ was yours to rule, but now it is morning and I intend to ravish you till I am contented that you are the happiest woman alive."

Sigyn smiled. "I can assure you that I already am."

"You may assure me all you wish, but I want you to convince me." Loki replied before placing a kiss on her collarbone.

Sigyn ran a hand through his hair. "And how can I convince you My Lord?"

"By saying my name." He whispered.

And she did, again and again.


	65. Time to get the ball rolling

No one came to wake Loki and Sigyn the next morning. They slept peacefully despite the clock that seemed to be ticking against them. When they finally did rouse, neither was keen on getting out of bed. Sigyn curled her body tightly into Loki's, and he nuzzled his nose into her hair.

" I ..l. y.. how .if.. ..u a.. wh.n … c.m. ..d..e?"

Sigyn tilted her head back to look at Loki.

"What was that?" She asked with a laugh.

Loki pulled back slightly.

"Have I told you how beautiful you are when you come undone?" He asked.

_"There is that blush" _he thought happily.

"It is not nice to tease." Sigyn reproached.

"I'm not teasing." Loki soothed.

Sigyn wrapped her arms tighter around Loki's waist.

"You are quite handsome when you come undone as well…" She mumbled into his chest.

"What was that?" Loki mimicked.

Sigyn propped her chin on Loki's chest.

"You…"

Kiss.

"are quite handsome…"

Kiss.

"when you come undone."

Kiss.

Loki shuddered under her kisses.

"You are an angel."

"And you a devil."

"Which is why I should be the only one to go to Titan."

It was a weak attempt to get Sigyn to stay on Jotunheim, but he felt he had to try it.

"I am going with you Loki, and that is final."

"I know Sigyn, but I had to at least try… we should probably start getting ready…" He pointed out reluctantly.

Sigyn nodded, and they both got out of the bed. Loki gathered his clothing from its pile on the floor. He began dressing and preparing his mind for the battle ahead. When he next looked at Sigyn, she was standing in her deep pink and gun-metal gray armor. Her hair was in a coronet braid and her swooping bangs tucked behind her ear. She looked older like this. It was like the maturity she had always possessed had taken complete control of her.

"We should probably talk to Helblindi before we leave." She suggested.

Loki nodded in agreement.

The two first checked his private chambers, but he wasn't there. They then made their way to the great hall only to find it empty.

"Where is he?" Sigyn questioned aloud.

"I might know…" Loki replied.

Loki started heading towards a staircase Sigyn hadn't noticed before. She was quick to follow him up the steps. Sure enough, Helblindi was standing at the top staring at some sort of ruined building.

"What is this place?" She asked.

"What remains of the temple My Lady." Helblindi replied with a glance over his shoulder.

"The temple? This is where Odin found you?" She questioned Loki.

"Indeed." He confirmed.

Loki stepped up next to his brother and Sigyn took her place beside him.

"We must leave for Titan." He informed Helblindi.

"I wish you luck." Helblindi responded.

"How will you know when to join with Thor?" Sigyn asked curiously.

"I will be informed when Thor leads the Asgardian forces from Asgard to Titan." The Frost Giant King assured her.

AKA- I have spies.

"Thank you for your kindness Helblindi." Sigyn thanked.

Helblindi nodded in acknowledgement and Loki too Sigyn's hand. With their magic flowing between them, Sigyn and Loki opened a portal to Titan.

Sigyn had half expected Titan to be the unknown location where Loki had wound up after falling from the Bifrost, but upon arrival that idea was disproved. While not as green Midgard, Asgard, or Alfheim, the terrain of Titan was not as desolate as the place where Sigyn had encountered Loki. The area reminded her of a rocky desert. Loki and Sigyn ducked behind cover, but there was no immediate danger in sight. The landscape was already slipping into darkness, and since neither of them knew anything about the layout of Titan they hadn't managed to open the portal near any type of city or enemy camp.

"So what is our plan?" Sigyn asked.

Loki scanned the area while replying. "I thought you were in charge of this infiltration scheme…"

"I thought this type of plan required someone with your talent for trouble, plus you understand Thanos better than I do so you know best how to fool him into thinking he is under attack."

Loki smiled. "Then let's go find his troops and supplies."

Sigyn and Loki began to explore the territory around them in as stealthily a manner as possible. Darkness was covering Titan when they finally found what appeared to be Thanos's camp. While they were both fairly positive that the sea of tents before them housed Thanos's army, they needed to get into it if they wanted to confirm their suspicions. For all they knew, the citizens of Titan could be a tent dwelling nomadic society. Sigyn suggested that they split up to scout the camp and meet back at a predetermined spot. Loki reluctantly agreed since time was not in their favor, and they both invoked an invisibility spell before infiltrating the camp. When Loki and Sigyn both made it back to the rendezvous point there was no doubt in either of their minds that this was Thanos's army. Now that they knew where their enemy was, it was time to devise a plan that would terrorize their camp.

"The Fire Giants are on this side of the camp." Loki pointed out to Sigyn.

"And the Dark Elves are over there." Sigyn added.

"The Titan army is in the center, and I am pretty sure I saw a small number of Chiutari forces mixed in with them." Loki indicated.

"Did you recognize that group over there?" Sigyn asked.

"No, I couldn't place them or the ones they were next to."

Sigyn scanned the army. "He has a sizeable force." She noted.

"So do we." Loki assured. "Plus we will have the advantage of unsettling them before the battle even begins. They will still be scurrying to organize themselves when Thor arrives."

"So how do we best unsettle them?" Sigyn queried.

"We destroy their supplies and weapons, or at least as many of them as possible." Loki explained.

Sigyn nodded. "So how do you want to split this up?"

Loki glanced at the camp in front of them again. "You take the eastern side of the camp, and I will take the western. We will work our way from the outskirts of the camp inwards towards the center to ensure that we will find one another again. Try to subtly sabotage any mechanized fighting craft you come across first, and wait for my signal before destroying things in a… less subtle manner."

"…and what exactly is your signal going to be?"

Loki smirked. "I have no idea, but whatever it is, you won't be able to miss it."

Sigyn smiled. Loki placed his hand behind Sigyn's head and pulled her in for a kiss before teleporting to his assigned area. Once he was gone, Sigyn teleported to her designated spot.

Normally Sigyn would have shielded herself from the eyes of others, but right now she needed to conserve her magic as much as possible. If there was even the smallest chance that she could fight her way to safety she would take it, but to do that she needed to use her magic sparingly till the time came to battle. Luckily, the dark night that surrounded her provided enough cover for her current mission. Sigyn snuck quietly around the camp looking for any of the mechanized weaponry she had seen earlier. It did not take her long to come across some of it. She muttered a simple sleeping spell to put the few guards that were protecting the weapons to sleep, and then snuck past them. She examined the odd flying machines for their source of power, but couldn't find one. Unsure of how the contraption worked, Sigyn just decided to melt huge portions of them, which would hopefully be enough to disable them. Her work on these weapons complete, Sigyn started to go in search of others but was reminded of the sleeping guards. What should she do about them? Logic told her to kill them now, but her heart told her that it was a bit backhanded to kill someone while they slept. Sure they probably wouldn't hesitate to kill her in her sleep, but did she really want to sink down to their level?

What would Loki do?

Kill them where they lay.

What would Thor do?

Wake them up and then kill them.

Sigyn looked at their sleeping forms.

What if she let them live, what then? What if one of them killed or injured one of her friends or family?

Sigyn took a deep breath and formed a sharp blade in her hand. She couldn't risk allowing the soldiers to live, but she would at least ensure that their deaths were quick and painless. They would never even know that they had died. She hovered her blade over the first guard's throat, and her hand began to shake.

She couldn't do this; she couldn't kill someone in cold blood.

That is when the images of this same soldier killing Thor or harming one of the Avengers filled her mind. It wasn't in anger or fear that she slit his throat or the throats of his companions, it was sadness. They died because of Thanos's own selfish goals. These soldiers would have gained very little should Thanos succeed, and instead they lost everything. Such pointless deaths struck Sigyn as extremely sad, and they were only to be the first of many.

Sigyn had been careful that each of the guards was actually dead before heading off to find other things to sabotage. When she was about halfway to the center of the camp she had to use an invisibility spell. There were just too many people around for her to sneak about without being noticed. She was also beginning to worry that she had somehow missed Loki's signal. Just when she was beginning to really worry however, a large explosion shook the entire camp. Smoke began billowing out of an area near where Loki was supposed to be. Soldiers began running in that direction while yelling to one another. Some of them ran into the invisible Sigyn, but no one seemed to notice since there were so many people beginning to run into one another. Sigyn decided to answer Loki's signal with one of her own. She spotted a nearby tent with weapons inside and set it on fire causing the weapons to explode. Sigyn and Loki both began to widen their areas of attack causing panic and confusion to further take over the camp's inhabitants. The explosions also let Loki and Sigyn know where the other one was. They had decided not to meet till Thor's army had arrived, and then they would meet up and make a break for the safety of their comrades.


	66. The Battle- Part 1

Author's Note: Well the story is almost complete! Only a few more chapters left. Be prepared to switch between viewpoints fairly regularly now. I own nothing. Ohh there are going to be mentions of blood in the next two chapters, but don't panic it is not that bad.

* * *

Thor was exceedingly impatient, and he was having trouble hiding it from Odin. When Odin questioned Thor as to why he was choosing to stay in court all day instead of going to train with the soldiers Thor had come up with some very lame and unbelievable excuse that he couldn't even remember anymore. All he knew was that Heimdall would alert Odin the second he spotted movement in Thanos's camp, and Thor wanted to be there when the news came. Thor waited in court all day, but no word came. He ate more at dinner than was probably advisable before an upcoming battle out of frustration. Even Volstagg had to give him a disbelieving stare. As dinner was ending, Thor was trying to come up with some reason to stay in Odin's company. Fortunately, it wasn't necessary. The group had just begun dessert when a soldier quickly entered the room.

"I am sorry to interrupt your dinner My Lord, but Heimdall has just sent word that Thanos's troops are on the move."

Odin looked at the soldier. "Where is his army headed?"

"Heimdall said it was too soon to say for sure." The guard excused.

Thor looked at his father. "We should attack now." He urged.

"I told you that your command of the army was only to be in the case of a counter attack." Odin reminded.

"Yes, but is this not a counter attack. We know Thanos is on the move so should we not protect his intended target by stopping him before he can get there?" Thor pointed out.

Odin rested his gaze on Thor and smiled.

"You sound like Loki…or possibly Sigyn, but most certainly not like my hot-blooded eldest son." He noted.

"I am not so rash as I once was, and I believe I have proven that several times since my banishment." Thor argued.

Odin looked proudly upon Thor. "Yes, you have… now off to Titan with you."

Thor, the Avengers, Lady Sif, and the Warriors Three all left the room as quickly as possible.

"Alert the men, they need to be in formation in half an hour." Thor instructed Sif and the Warriors Three.

They all gave a half-bow and went off to alert the generals.

"The same goes for the rest of you. Be at the entrance to the Rainbow Bridge in half an hour." He told the Avengers even though he doubted they would need that long to get ready.

As it turned out, no one needed that long. The entirity of Asgards army and the Avengers were on the Bridge ready to leave in twenty minutes. Thor only hoped Loki and Sigyn had lasted this long.

…

Sigyn sincerely hoped that the chaos in the camp was enough for Heimdall to alert Odin. Thanos's troops were running about everywhere looking for the troublemakers so Sigyn found a spot that looked fairly sheltered and waited to see if Thor would come. She wasn't sure how long she waited before a large blue beam shot through the night sky. It was too dark to make out more than a mass of bodies on the slope in front of the camp, but Sigyn knew it was Thor and the Avengers. His arrival was Sigyn's signal to go in search of Loki. She quickly made her way to the center of the camp as soldiers, startled by the Asgardians sudden arrival, began to scramble to prepare for the imminent battle. Sigyn made her way faster towards the center of camp, and had just lifted her concealment spell so Loki could see her when a second and third blast of light lit up the sky. Sigyn's heart leaped for joy. Neither of those beams had been from the Bifrost. The Jotuns and the Vanir must have arrived to assist Thor. Thanos's troops didn't notice her at first seeing as they were focused on the new arrivals, but once their shock died down a few of the Dark Elves spotted her. Sigyn could hear the shouts that followed her as she continued to sprint through the camp. She began to swerve in and out between the tents to make hitting her a difficult task. Every once in a while she would throw a dagger back at those pursuing her or set a tent on fire. She was able to shake most of her pursuers when a hand reached out and yanked her into a tent. Sigyn automatically lashed out with her dagger and slashed her captor's cheek.

Loki grimaced as the skin on his cheek tore from Sigyn's instinctive attack. Blood from the wound began to stream down his cheek, and he thanked his lucky stars that her blow hadn't been any higher or lower. A cut cheek he could deal with, but a slit throat or missing eye would have been a problem. Once Sigyn realized whom she had attacked she quickly dropped her knife and pulled Loki in for a kiss.

"I am so sorry!" She apologized "I just assumed you were one of them!"

She turned Loki's head further to the side so she could get a better look at his new wound.

"I can fix this." She assured, but Loki stopped her.

"Don't worry about it. Healing minor injuries is simply a waste of your magic, we need to get ourselves out of here."

Sigyn nodded, and they both exited the tent. The battle had already started. The roar of the fight was a new sound to Sigyn's ears, but it didn't frighten her. If anything, it got her blood pumping. She needed to join the fight, and as they began to head that way she could sense Loki perking up. He was just as anxious to join in the conflict as she was. Unfortunately Sigyn and Loki would have to get through Thanos's reserve forces before they could reach the main battle. As they made their way they were forced to deal with soldiers that were still scattered across the camp. To utilize her magic more efficiently Sigyn called upon Gambanteinn. The staff materialized in her hand, and Sigyn automatically felt it channeling her magic more resourcefully. Loki followed Sigyn's lead, and called upon Laevateinn. While Sigyn and Loki fought their way towards their allies, another golden beam shot down on the battlefield. Sigyn smiled. The Light Elves had arrived.

…

Thor checked his companions on the field. Stark was flying about trying to take down the few flying craft the enemy was in control of. Hawkeye had stayed behind with the archers and was picking of the enemy from a distance. The Black Widow was engaging in hand-to-hand combat, but would pull her gun out when necessary. Sif and the Warriors Three were also engaging the enemy with their weapons of choice. Captain America stayed close to Lady Sif, and was constantly going to her aid. Dr. Banner had not let the other guy take over yet so he was back with the archers. It had been decided that it would be best for him to save his energy for the fight with Thanos that was going to have to take place. This entire battle meant nothing if they didn't take Thanos out.

…

Loki silently cursed the enemies that he and Sigyn couldn't seem to shake. The two of them had been working in tandem to take out as many as they could, but they still seemed to be getting no closer to their intended goal. Every once in a while lightening would light up the field reminding the pair of Thor's presence.

"I hope he doesn't waste all his energy on this fight." Sigyn called to Loki after she drove a dagger into a Fire Giant's stomach. "He needs to save some for Thanos."

"What makes you think Thanos isn't on the field?" Loki yelled back to her while slamming Laevateinn into another Fire Giant's skull.

"If Thanos had been in the camp while we were causing a ruckus there would not have been as much panic. He would have handled it in an orderly manner, and I haven't seen him enter the field since then." Sigyn pointed out before emitting a debilitating burst of energy from Gambanteinn.

Loki was forced to use his own magic to protect himself from her attack, but he didn't mind since the blast took out at least three of their attackers. Loki considered teleporting himself and Sigyn to Thor, but it was too risky. This battle could rage on for hours and teleporting took a lot of magical energy. They needed to conserve their energy so ironically the overall safest way for them to reach their friends was to go on foot. The fighting wore on and on, but Sigyn and Loki had trouble making any ground. Everywhere they turned there were enemies surrounding them. They both lost track of how much time they had spent fighting. They were both sporting some minor injuries, but overall the damage wasn't too bad. Somehow amidst the chaos the pair got so turned around that they weren't sure which direction to head anymore. Sigyn spotted a rocky overhang and pointed it out to Loki, and they jumped up to it to see if they could determine their location.

There was no illumination aside from the moon and the stars, but neither of them wanted to give away their position to their enemies by creating an artificial form of light. There was only one thing they could tell for sure, either the battle was moving away from them or they had been going the wrong way.

"Damn!" Loki fumed. "How did we get so turned around!?"

Sigyn sighed. "This isn't good…"

Before either of them could lament their predicament any further a dagger caught Loki in the shoulder. Sigyn quickly turned around and blocked another dagger with her staff.

"You!?" She seethed as the Other emerged from the shadows of a boulder.

"It seems I have found the cause of the chaos earlier." The Other commented nonchalantly. "How convenient for Thanos that you have come to him for your punishment."

At least half a dozen Titan and Chutari soldiers came to stand beside the Other, weapons raised.

"So the punishment is death is it?" Loki asked while pulling the dagger out of his shoulder.

The Other chuckled. "No, they are merely here to escort you to your true punishment."

Neither Sigyn nor Loki replied. They didn't have to speak to know what needed to be done. Loki cast a spell that engulfed their opponents in flame while Sigyn broke the ledge beneath their feet, sending them plummeting to the ground. They both managed to land nimbly on their toes and began to head into the gorge that lay in front of them, the agonized screams of the Chutari and Titian soldiers spurring them on. They could hear the Other screeching out commands to follow them. Footsteps chased Loki and Sigyn further and further into the ravine. They were hopelessly lost, and their enemies were closing in.

"We have to fight!" Sigyn finally determined.

She grabbed Loki's arm to stop him, and they both stood in the clearing for a moment.

"How do you feel?" He asked suddenly realizing that her markings weren't glowing as brightly as they should be. All the spells, enchantments, and portals she had created the past week had obviously drained her more than Loki had thought.

"I feel well enough to make one final stand." She assured.

Loki scanned around for any dead-end offshoot that would at least take away their enemy's ability to attack from behind. He spotted one that he thought would serve their purpose, and they both ducked into it as the soldiers caught up to them. Backs to the canyon wall, Sigyn and Loki proffered their weapons in front of them. The narrow passage forced their attackers to funnel in giving Loki and Sigyn an advantage. The corpses of the Titian, Chuitari, and Dark Elves were beginning to pile up, but at a cost. Sigyn's markings grew fainter and fainter, and Loki was feeling the fatigue from overexertion finally kicking in.

Sigyn knew she didn't have much magic left to spend, and Loki was looking more and more worn out by the minute. It seemed that the Other had sent an obscene number of troops to apprehend them, but Sigyn didn't plan on letting them. She surveyed her surroundings and came up with one last-ditch attempt to stop their attackers. She focused the last of her energy into her staff and created a large enough explosion to bring the loose boulders of the gorge surrounding them crashing down. Loki and Sigyn were sent flying back into the wall behind them, and the soldiers that weren't crushed by the falling debris were sent sprawling into the main branch of the gorge.

Loki had been able to stop the debris from crushing Sigyn and him with a spell, but now they were effectively trapped underneath it. Loki glanced at Sigyn who was lying motionless against the wall. Loki crawled his way over to her and pulled her into his arms. He gently rubbed her temples causing her to rouse slowly. They lay in their stony prison quietly. There was no real need to talk since it would just waste oxygen. Loki wasn't sure how much longer he would have the strength to keep the spell in place that was keeping them from being crushed, but it didn't matter. He was really only putting off the inevitable. Even if Thor was able to defeat Thanos in time, he had no idea that they were trapped or where. No help would come from Thor or the Avengers. Loki stroked the strands of hair that had come out of Sigyn's coronet braid, and he then ran his fingers gently over the cuts on her face. She looked so fierce and surprisingly beautiful like this. His hand trailed slowly down to her neck, and he was fairly certain that his fingers would almost touch if he wrapped his hand around it. As he looked down on her he contemplated what he should do. They were going to die no matter what, and as her husband it was his job to ensure that Sigyn didn't suffer. Loki began to tighten his fingers around her neck; it would be quick and almost painless if he just snapped it.

Sigyn shuddered under his grasp. "Will it hurt?" She asked quietly.

Sigyn wasn't letting her eyes stray away from Loki's, and he could see the fear in her glistening orbs. Loki's resolve melted away. He couldn't kill her, not even to protect her. Instead, he brought his forehead to rest on hers. The two fell back into silence and listened as the muffled sounds from the battlefield drew closer. He wasn't sure how long they laid there in silence when hurried footsteps made their way to where they were trapped. Commands were given to start moving the rubble and Loki's heart began to sink. He hadn't considered that the Other might come back for them. He really was intent on forcing them to suffer. When enough rubble had been removed Loki and Sigyn were dragged out of their former tomb by Titan soldiers. Sigyn clawed at the men holding her only to be thrown at the Other's feet. Loki landed next to her with a thud.

"A valiant effort darling, but there is no escape this time. Thanos is most excited to meet you in person." The Other then looked at the soldiers surrounding him. "Take them to the caves, and make sure you place them in separate cells."

Loki and Sigyn were then dragged to their feet again and hauled through the gorge mercilessly. Loki had been taken first so he could only hear Sigyn as she struggled uselessly against her captors. They were taken to a cave that Loki hadn't noticed earlier. The further they were led the further Loki's hopes fell. Yet another place he and Sigyn woudn't be able to escape and Thor wouldn't be able to find. Sigyn suddenly began yelling with renewed vigour and Loki looked over his shoulder to see the two soldiers dragging her into a room.

"Loki!" She cried out in desperation.

"Sigyn!" He yelled back as the door to the room was slammed shut.

Loki's heart began to race, and he began to fight against the men holding him in hopes of freeing himself long enough to reach her. It was a fool's hope, but he didn't care. Loki was dragged without much difficulty into the room adjacent to Sigyn's. He was stripped down to the waist and thrown against a wall. He wasn't able to regain his footing before the soldiers forced him to kneel and chained his hands above his head. Loki was officially defenseless. The soldiers went to stand outside the door and Loki listened for any noise that might be coming from Sigyn's cell.

Silence.

The door to his own prison swung open and the Other entered.

"Hmmm just like the good times isn't it Loki." He mocked.

Loki shuddered at the thought of the "good times" the Other was referring to.

"Thanos is with your beautiful woman now." He informed.

The blood in Loki's veins turned to ice.

"Don't look so concerned Loki, he'll only break her mind. I'll break her body." The Other purred.

Loki wanted nothing more than to throttle the creature standing before him, and the Other seemed to be enjoying the rage he was eliciting from Loki. The Other pulled out a long thin piece of tanned leather and smiled. The blows began to fall, but Loki could care less. His fear for Sigyn overruled any concern he had for his own well-being.

"Listen closely and maybe you'll be able to hear her moans as he ravages her mind the same way he ravaged yours." The creature taunted in between lashings.

Loki strained his ears for any sounds other than the whip making contact with his body, but none could be heard. It didn't take long for the Other to draw blood, and the warm liquid trickling down his body starkly contrasted the cold damp atmosphere of the cell. Loki's already weakened body was beginning to shake against his will. He closed his eyes and grimaced as the blows came harder and faster. He needed something to focus on before the pain drove him mad.

Sigyn

She was his rock, his center. He clenched his jaw while trying to block out the agony of his ruthless beating. If he could just focus on her maybe things wouldn't seem so bad. Loki envisioned her smile, imagined her laugh, and reminded himself of her stubborn personality. He almost found himself smiling despite his immense pain. She might not be physically in the room with him, but she was certainly present. They had been bonded to one another through blood, and neither the Other or Thanos could take that away.


	67. A nightmare realized

Sigyn's captors released her when they entered the cell. She was going to attack them, but couldn't keep her feet under her. She tried to stand without any success, and she had to come to the terms with the fact that her body was failing her. The two soldiers stood guard by the door and sneered down at her. She was helpless and they knew it. Sigyn's anger burned. She never considered herself to be a helpless or weak person, but now she couldn't even stand up. Not long after being tossed unceremoniously to the floor like a rag-doll, Sigyn heard a sickening sound emanate from the room next door. Someone was being beaten, and Sigyn was certain that that someone was Loki. She was momentarily distracted when the door to her cell suddenly opened.

"Thanos…" Sigyn hissed under her breath.

"You know what I want." Thanos remarked unceremoniously.

"And you know I won't give it to you." She replied coldly.

"Not willingly, no."

Sigyn eyed the Titan with a look of doubt and disdain.

"You doubt my abilities do you?"

"I have foiled you almost every step of the way so forgive me if I question your formidability."

Thanos leaned over Sigyn and grabbed her chin with his hand.

"Who do you think twisted and warped Loki's mind? Who manipulated one of the greatest manipulators in the Nine Realms? Who turned your lover from a man into an empty shell of a living being? I broke Loki, and I will have no difficulty in breaking you."

"Loki was in a weakened state when he fell to your doorstep. You will not find it so easy to break him now, and you certainly won't break me."

Thanos didn't reply. There was no cliché evil grin or laughter to betray his next move. Sigyn felt an extreme bout of dizziness overtake her. Thanos was trying to enter her mind. Without her magic to protect her Sigyn was unable to block him entirely, but since she knew what he was specifically looking for she could defend that information. She could redirect Thanos from memories of the Infinity Gems by choosing other things in those memories to focus on. It was going to force her to give up more personal information than she would have liked, but it was a sacrifice she was willing to make to protect the location of the Infinity Gauntlet and its Gems. The Power Gem had her sending Thanos through memories of reading books and spinning in the swivel chair on Midgard. The Time Gem offered Thanos a look at the moments Loki and Sigyn had spent in the library and in the cave. Sigyn began to loose control of her memories at the thought of dancing with Loki in the cave. Her mind wandered to the moment when Loki had pressed her against the wall outside of Ivaldi's secret chemical weapons room, and the pattern continued. Memories of Loki and her flooded her mind. She could feel Thanos trying to sift through these recollections to find the information he truly wanted, but he was having little luck.

Unable to overpower her, Thanos decided on a different tactic.

Sigyn had a flashback of when Loki had struck her before leaving for Midgard, and then a memory of Býleistr raping her came to the forefront.

Wait… Býleistr hadn't raped her, that had been Forseti…hadn't it?

She couldn't remember. The visions running through Sigyn's brain were beginning to get mixed up.

Loki had left her on their wedding night to sleep with Angrboda.

No, Sigyn had let him go… no, this wasn't right at all…

Loki had never been with Angrboda, Sigyn had only thought he had been.

Sigyn grabbed her head. Thanos was trying to confuse her. He wanted her to drop her guard so that he could get to the information of where the Infinity Gems where and how they were protected. Fact was becoming fiction, and Thanos was beginning to play off of Sigyn's greatest fears. She unconsciously gritted her teeth as she concentrated on reminding herself who she was, and that these visions were not real. As the torture continued Sigyn could easily see how Loki was driven to madness. He had to endure this for months on end, and Sigyn was beginning to question how he had returned to sanity at all. Deep down she had a feeling that he never truly had. Loki would have to carry the invisible scars and repercussions of this unspeakable torture till he died, which would admittedly be very soon. Oddly enough that fact comforted her. Thanos couldn't waste his time torturing her like this forever. He would have to contend with Thor sooner or later so while Loki's mental torture must have seemed unending, her's had a definite time limitation. She would be strong. She would make Loki proud.

…

Thor surveyed the battlefield. Victory was near. With the help of the Vanir, Light Elves, Jotuns, and Avengers the day would be won, but Thor knew that was only half of the battle. They still had to contend with Thanos. Unfortunately, they didn't know where he was. He most certainly hadn't taken part in this battle or Thor would have seen him. As the roar of battle began to subside Thor allowed himself to hunt down his friends. He spotted Lady Sif and Captain Rogers first.

"Where are the others?" He quickly asked.

"Clint and Dr. Banner are still back with the archers." Steve pointed out.

"We lost track of the Warriors Three a while ago." Lady Sif admitted.

"What of Stark and Natasha?" Thor prodded.

"Natasha was fighting with Celleth and Manavana a while ago, and Stark was flying towards the camp last I saw him." Steve stated.

"What would he be doing there?" Lady Sif mused.

"Looking for Sigyn and my brother." Thor assumed

"You mean Sigyn and _my_ brother." A rough voice corrected.

Thor turned to see a Frost Giant approaching.

"You are Helblindi?" Thor asked.

"No, I am Loki's other brother Býleistr." The Frost Giant explained. "Helblindi is a little busy settling a score with a couple of Dark Elves."

"So Loki and Sigyn did go into the camp?" Thor prodded.

"That was their plan, but I don't see how they could have made it out of there alive." Býleistr admitted.

"If they are alive Stark will find them." Steve assured.

"If who is alive?" A curious voice asked from behind Lady Sif.

Thor flinched a little. He wasn't sure if he wanted to be the one to tell Celleth and Manavana about Siygn. Luckily, Natasha saved him the trouble.

"Sigyn and Loki. They went into the camp as a sort of jump start for the battle." The redhead expounded.

"They went in there alone?" Manavana asked disbelievingly. "That would have a been a suicide mission!"

"Not necessarily." Celleth comforted. "If they played their cards right they might have been able to make it out alive."

Clint and Dr. Banner quickly approached the growing group of people.

"So is the battle over?" Clint quickly asked Thor.

"For the most part. Our forces will probably push them back further, but the day is ours." He assured.

"Where is Tony?" Banner queried.

"Scanning the camp for Sigyn and Loki." Steve replied.

"Not anymore." Clint interjected before pointing to a quickly approaching figure.

Stark landed moments later and raised his mask.

"Did you find them?" Thor enquired tensely.

"No sign of them." Stark replied.

"Not even their bodies?" Sif asked.

"Nope, not even their bodies." He confirmed.

"Which means they could still be alive." Celleth pointed out.

"Exactly, we need to spread out and look for them." Stark responded.

The others seemed to agree immediately, but Steve couldn't shake the feeling that it was a bad idea. They were here for Thanos, and if they delayed he might get away.

_"May you stay true to the mission when others falter." _

Sigyn's final words to him rang through his mind. They had a mission, and it was his job to insure it was carried out.

"We can't go after them." Steve dictated before the group could scatter.

Everyone turned to stare at him disbelievingly.

"What do you mean we can't go after them!?" Stark questioned. "There is a damsel out there that needs rescuing, isn't that your sort thing?"

Steve shook his head. "Sigyn is no damsel. She knew what she was signing on for, and she would want us to finish our mission. We came to take on Thanos, and if we go on a hunt for her and Loki we might lose our chance at completing that mission."

The other Avengers looked around slightly unsure till Manavana spoke up.

"If you found Sigyn, but lost Thanos she would never forgive you. She and Loki have risked their lives to give you this one chance to stop him so you better do it."

Natasha sighed. "They're right."

Clint crossed his arms over his chest in defeat. He obviously didn't like the fact that they were somewhat abandoning Sigyn and Loki, but he knew that the mission had to come first. Steve looked to Stark, Dr. Banner, and Thor. They all knew that he was right, but it was a tough decision to make. Thor finally spoke up.

"The Captain is correct, we must go after Thanos. Lady Sif, Lady Manavana, Celleth, and Býleistr go and finish this battle. When the enemy has fully retreated begin the search for those who have been wounded. It will be up to you to get them to the healers, and if there is time look for Loki and Sigyn. The Avengers and I must destroy Thanos."

"Problem." Stark interjected after Sif, Manavana, Celleth, and Býleistr left. "We don't know where Thanos is."

Thor looked about the battlefield and smirked. "We don't have to know, he will come to us…"

He brusquely walked over to a wounded Titian soldier and pulled him to his feet. The others watched on curiously as Thor shook him and talked to him in a rather menacing way. If Thor's intention had been to frighten the soldier to death it was working. Thor released the soldier, and he scurried off as quickly away from the 'god of thunder' as possible.

"What was that about?" Natasha asked when Thor rejoined the group.

"Thanos is about to learn of his armies defeat, and he will know where we will be waiting for him." Thor explained.

"and where _will_ we be waiting for him?" Clint prodded.

"Those cliffs." Thor replied while pointing towards the cliffs in question. "We need to keep our fight as far away from the wounded as possible."

"Ok, so how do we get there?" Steve asked.

Thor responded by pulling Steve and Natasha into his grasp and swinging his hammer. Stark looked at Dr. Banner and Clint.

"Need a lift?" He asked.

The two men looked at each other and then back at Stark before shrugging their shoulders. Iron Man landed with his two passengers soon after Thor landed with his. Now all they could do was wait.

…

The floor underneath Loki was beginning to glisten with his blood. The Other had eventually traded his whip for his knife. So far he had only been tracing it over some of Loki's less important veins, splitting them wide open for their precious contents to spill out. The Other hadn't questioned him about the Infinity Gems yet. In fact, he hadn't asked Loki any questions at all, which begged the question: what was the Other's purpose behind his tortures? Sure, this creature was a sadist, but Thanos wouldn't just let him torture Loki for no reason while there was a battle on their doorstep.

Loki winced as the Other dug his knife deeper along one of his veins. The smell of blood was starting to make Loki a little queasy, and its continued loss was making him a bit light headed. The door to the room opened unexpectedly, and Thanos entered with Sigyn being pulled in by two Titan soldiers. Loki scoured Sigyn's body in the dim light and was relieved to see that she seemed fairly unharmed physically. Sigyn gave a small gasp as her eyes flitted over Loki's body, and he suddenly understood the purpose of the Other's torture. It was for Sigyn's benefit. They were going to use him against her.

"Sigyn has withstood more than I thought she would be capable of." Thanos admitted. "Don't worry though, I think perhaps your current physical state might cause her to change her mind. So Sigyn, tell me where the Gems are or Loki will pay for your stubbornness."

Loki had no intention of being a pawn for the Titan anymore. He refused to be the reason for Sigyn betraying her mission of protecting the Gems, so he gave Thanos a cold stare. Sigyn seemed to take courage in Loki's apparent defiance.

"Get your filthy hands off of Loki." She demanded of the Other.

Thanos nodded, and the Other responded by grabbing Loki by the hair and yanking his head back. He could no longer see anything but the ceiling, but he could feel the Other's knife digging painfully against his throat.

"The location of the Gems." Thanos commanded.

Silence.

Loki half-expected the Other to slit his throat, but instead the pressure was released entirely.

"Search the girl for her Gem." Thanos demanded.

The Other left Loki's side and made his way over to Sigyn. Loki struggled weakly against his chains as the creature approached Sigyn. Thanos's malevolent stare bored into Loki as he struggled in vain. Sigyn tried to kick out against the soldiers holding her and the Other as they began to strip her of her armor. The pieces went clattering to the ground where Loki's already discarded clothing lay. He cringed as they undressed her down to her thin undergarments. Satisfied that the Gem was not in her possession, Thanos ripped her from his minion's grasps and flung her to the ground. He kneeled over her and grasped her throat in his hand. Loki wanted to tell Thanos to get his hands off of his wife, but the door to the cell opened before he could.

"We've lost the battle!" a frazzled soldier reported to Thanos.

Thanos squeezed Sigyn's neck in frustration, but released his grip before he could actually strangle her. He quickly rose and made his way to leave the room.

"Get the information from them whatever it takes." Thanos ordered the Other before slamming the door shut behind him.

The Other looked towards the two soldiers and instructed them to go stand outside the door of the cell before approaching Sigyn. He pulled her up to sit on her knees facing Loki.

"Since Sigyn is not cooperating, perhaps you will." The Other addressed Loki. "What has she done with the Infinity Gems?"

Sigyn shook her head slightly as a warning for Loki not to answer, and he complied. His lips may as well have been sewn shut. The Other rummaged in his layered clothing for something, finally pulling out a small vial. He opened it and forced Sigyn's head back while using the extra two fingers on his other hand to force her eyes open.

"Consider this your first warning Loki." The Other stated before tipping the vial and pouring is contents into Sigyn's eyes.

A scream tried to tear itself from Sigyn's throat only to be smothered by the Other's hand. Loki began to panic as Sigyn's body began to shake violently. What had been in that vial?

"What have you done to her!?" Loki commanded.

The Other didn't respond, he merely stroked Sigyn's check while mockingly shushing her.

"What did you do to her?!" Loki yelled.

"I merely wanted to test Sigyn's magic. Apparently it cannot protect her eyes from the effects of snake venom. Pity."

"What will it do to her!?" Loki demanded.

"I don't know, we will just have to wait and see." The Other announced happily. "The Gems Loki. Where are they?"

Loki refused to answer, and he gritted his teeth as the Other took his dagger out.

"How easily your lover abandons you my dear. You can thank him for this." The creature stated before driving the dagger into the upper part of Sigyn's arm.

Again and again he demanded the location of the Gems, and again and agin Loki refused to give them. Sometimes the Other would stab his knife into Sigyn's arms or legs, while other times he would simply drag it across other exposed portions of her body. He continued to muffle her screams until she didn't have the energy to scream anymore. At that point the Other let her fall to the ground and approached Loki. He inspected his glistening knife as he drew near. Sigyn's blood coated the metallic object and Loki felt extremely nauseous.

"I promised you that you would wish for something as sweet as pain should you fail." He taunted before grabbing Loki by the chin and forcing him to look at Sigyn's limp form. "How am I doing so far?"

The question was obviously rhetorical. The Other knew he was making good on his threat seeing as Loki couldn't stop the steady stream of tears that rolled off his cheeks to mix with the blood on the floor. Sigyn appeared to be barely breathing. Every once in a while her markings would begin to faintly glow, but quickly putter out. Her magic didn't have the strength to heal her.

"Tell me where the Gems are located and I will end this for her. Just think, you can save her from any more pain…" The Other offered.

Loki let his head fall forward. It wasn't fair that she suffered, but if he gave away her secret her suffering would have been in vain. There also wasn't any guarantee that the Other would be true to his word. It was just as likely that he would continue to torture Sigyn after Loki gave him the desired information.

"don't…" Sigyn whimpered.

Loki looked up to see her rising uncertainly to her knees.

"Damn him and his mercy…" She finished.

Loki smiled feebly. He could always rely on Sigyn's stubbornness.

"You heard the Lady… damn you." Loki replied hoarsely to the Other.

The Other struck him across the cheek for his insolence and approached Sigyn. He pulled her to her feet and rammed his dagger into her abdomen. Sigyn let out a piercing scream and Loki was too stunned to do anything but gape.

"I will make this as painful as possible you harlot." He seethed as he began to twist the dagger to the right and left.

Sigyn began to gasp for air, and the other violently tore the knife from her stomach. Sigyn was sent reeling, and she flailed about blindly as he shoved her towards the wall where Loki was chained. She doubled over and began to cough up blood. Loki's rage began to boil, and he tried to summon up some measure of magic to break his bonds. He didn't have enough magic to free himself, but his bonds began to give in anyway. The Other brandished his knife to strike Sigyn again, but Loki broke free in time to ram a sword of ice through the creature's heart.

Ice?

Loki looked down at his hand and was stunned to see that he was in his Jotun form. The Other's lifeless body fell limply to the ground, but Loki was too dumbfounded by what had just happened to take notice. He had unconsciously taken on his Jotun form, which had frozen the shackles enough to cause them to shatter when he pulled against them. He hadn't even known he could do that. If he had he would have done it sooner to get Sigyn and himself out of there… Loki bent down to Sigyn and held her body to his. She began to struggle against him, which surprised Loki.

"Shhhh Sigyn, its me, its Loki." He comforted.

Sigyn began to shake.

"Loki, I can't see you…I can't see anything…" She explained in a frightened voice.

Loki's head began to swim. The venom had blinded her.


	68. The Battle- Part 2

Clint couldn't stand watching Thor pace and spin his hammer. He wasn't sure how long they had waited on the cliff, but it couldn't have been that long. To keep himself occupied, Clint began to take inventory of his arrows. During the battle he had used the arrows supplied by the Asgardian army, but now he was going to have to use his own personal stash. Twenty, he had twenty arrow shafts. He then counted his different attachments. He sighed, he only had thirty-five. He would need to detach fifteen arrow shafts after they had been fired so he could have a grand total of thirty-five shots. Hopefully that would be enough to help the team take Thanos down. His count complete, Hawkeye slung his quiver back over his back. Thanos needed to show up soon or Thor was likely to go insane. Natasha came and took a seat next to Barton.

"How was close combat?" He asked the Black Widow.

"Good." She replied simply.

"Good?" Clint asked in a skeptical tone.

"Yea, good." She answered. "How was the view from the back lines?"

"Impressive." Clint admitted. "I've never seen anything like it."

Natasha nodded in agreement. "It certainly was an experience…"

Natasha trailed off uncharacteristically and Clint could see something was on her mind.

"What's up Tasha?" He prodded.

"Do you remember what Sigyn said to me about my gifts allowing me to stay one step ahead of my enemies?" She asked.

"Yea."

"Well it happened."

Clint gave Natasha a confused look. "What d'ya mean it happened?"

"There were a couple of times back there where I should have been a goner." She admitted. "It was like I could sense and react to attacks faster than should be humanly possible."

"Adreneline?" Clint suggested.

Natasha shook her head 'no.' "I've worked under the influence of adrenaline before Clint, this was something else. Do you think she used some kind of magic on us?"

"Well she did something. There is no way we should be able to survive on one of Saturn's moons without some sort of space suit." Clint pointed out.

Natasha raised an eyebrow. She hadn't really considered that fact. Sigyn must have used some sort of magic on them to protect them. She shifted her gaze to her other companions. Maybe Thor knew the meaning behind Sigyn's words, even if he didn't he sure looked like he could use a distraction.

"Thor." Natasha called out.

The blonde demigod stopped his pacing and looked towards Natasha.

"Yes?" He queried.

"Back in your room, what Sigyn said about my abilities keeping me a step ahead and stuff, was that some sort of spell?"

Thor smiled softly. "It was certainly magic of a sort, but not a spell. It was her blessing. The easiest way to explain it is that she has endowed each of you with enough magic to help you perform specific tasks."

"Then why didn't she just bless us with invincibility or something?" Stark asked.

"Because it is not that simple. Giving a blessing takes magic away from Sigyn, and the blessing must be within her magic's ability. Sigyn's magic cannot grant her invincibility so she cannot pass that gift on to you." Thor tried to explain.

Before anyone else could comment on the matter however, a clanking sound on the stones behind Thor drew their attention. Each of the Avengers turned to face the noise, poised and ready to fight. Lying on the stones at the feet of Thanos were two staffs. No one needed to be told to whom they belonged.

"I see you recognize Laevateinn and Gambanteinn." Thanos noted.

There was a sickening smile on his face that caused fear to grip Thor's heart. Before acting rashly however, Thor took note of the situation. Approximately fifty Titan soldiers had accompanied Thanos, and Thor assumed that this must be Thanos's personal guard seeing as they appeared more fierce than the Titan's he had seen on the battle field. Thanos opened his mouth to speak again, but Thor never gave him the chance. Without warning he swung his hammer and pummeled into Thanos. The first blow delivered, chaos broke out on the cliff. Steve, Natasha, Clint, and Dr. Banner, who had now assumed the form of the Hulk, began taking on the Titan soldiers while Stark flew to the assistance of Thor.

These Titan's were stronger than their counterparts that Natasha, Clint, and Steve had fought earlier. Even the Hulk had difficulty taking them out. This battle was going to be a grueling one. Clint was going through his arrows faster than he would have liked. He was spared the effort of releasing the current one he had strung at an oncoming soldier as a blue repulser beam nailed the enemy in the back.

"I thought you were going to help Thor." Clint stated to Stark.

"I think Thor needs to handle this guy on his own. I was only in the way, not to mention it's too dangerous for me to be flying around when 'Sailor Jupiter' keeps summoning his lightning." Stark pointed out.

"Sailor Jupiter?" Clint asked after releasing his arrow.

"Just trying to stick to the whole Sailor Moon theme." Stark replied before flying over to assist Steve and Natasha.

Clint glanced back at his quiver. He only had about fifteen arrow shafts left, which meant he had about twenty more attachments at his disposal. He quickly began going to the Titan's he had already slain and detached the shafts from the arrows that had taken them down. He officially had twenty more shots to go.

Banner was locked in a fierce stalemate with two of the Titan soldiers. Normally his strength was enough to smash just about anything with ease, but it appeared that two of these Titan soldiers could match him. Come to think of it though, he was really clear-headed. Normally things got blurry when the Other Guy took over. He could hardly remember the battle of New York at all, yet everything was clear here. For some reason his mind hadn't been completely taken over by the rage of the Hulk. He certainly wasn't going to complain, this was a nice change…

Natasha dodged a blow from her opponent, but cursed as she accidentally dropped her knife. She didn't have time to pick it up so she quickly pulled her gun from her holster. She fired a few rounds at the Titan, but nothing. The bullets didn't even leave a scratch. How was it that Clint's arrows could do damage but her bullets did nothing? That hardly seemed fair. Before she could lament her ill luck any further however, she reminded herself that now was not the time for self-pity. She rolled out of the way of another attack and grabbed her knife. Now that she was behind her attacker she jumped onto its back and sliced his throat with enough force to decapitate a human. Luckily it was enough to slit the Titan's throat. Natasha turned around in time to spot another Titan's attack. This was slow fighting, and at this rate it would take all evening to finish these guys off. Natasha only hoped that maybe Thor could defeat Thanos soon or that Manavana, Celleth, and some other fighters would be able to join them. Flashes of light from the Bifrost, and whatever the Frost Giants, Vanir, and Light Elves used to teleport here, signaled that the evacuation of the wounded had begun. Perhaps help would be coming soon.

Steve released his shield, and a sickening crunching sound could be heard as it came in contact with a Titan's head. Caving in his opponent's skulls seemed to be the most effective attack Steve could come up with at the moment. As if the fighting wasn't already difficult enough in their weary states, rain began to steadily fall. Steve couldn't help but inwardly curse at how cliché this seemed, but as lightning struck across the sky he just wrote it off as something to be expected when you fought alongside someone who was known as 'the god of thunder.' The ground became slippery causing problems for both sides of the fight. The only thing Steve knew for sure was that the struggle between Thor and Thanos must be getting heated for this storm to be brewing.

Thor and Thanos exchanged blows relentlessly, but in the back of Thor's mind he feared that Thanos might just be toying with him. Now more than ever Thor wished Odin were here. Surely the AllFather was the only being in the Nine Realms who was strong enough to take this monster head on. Despite his fears, Thor was consoled by the fact that Thanos did genuinely seem to be struggling against him. Thor used his peripheral vision to check on how the other Avengers were faring. It was tough to tell, but they appeared to be handling themselves just fine. He used Mjölnir to block and then counter Thanos's latest attack. Bringing his weapon into contact with Thanos's chest and sending the Titan backwards shot a rush of adrenaline through his veins, and Thor used the opportunity to summon his lightning. The surge knocked Thanos off of his feet, and before he could stand again Thor leapt into the air hoping to crush Thanos in one final blow. Thanos was prepared for the predictable attack however, and caught Thor's arm mid-swing and flung him a few yards away. Thor hit the ground hard and rolled a few feet further. That was a demoralizing blow, but Thor shook it off and answered with a punishing attack of his own. He threw Mjölnir at Thanos, and when Thanos dodged the hammer Thor came in with a punch to his jaw. Thanos recovered quickly and the two combatants found themselves into a hand-to-hand combat. It started out polished enough, but the grappling soon became sloppy between the high emotions and the slippery rocks.

As the fight continued Thor began to realize something. He wasn't going to be able to kill Thanos with his bare hands, and he wasn't 100% sure Mjölnir would do the job either. He had already electrocuted the guy, and that hadn't stopped him. A roar from the direction of the Avengers distracted Thor for a moment, and Thanos took advantage of the interruption to toss Thor into a rock. Thor's vision began to swim and he could feel blood trickling from what was obviously a head wound. Thanos approached with a look that could kill, but before he could reach Thor, a giant green blur took Thanos to the ground. It took Thor a second to realize that it was the Hulk that had come to the rescue, and Thor looked over once again to where the other Avengers were fighting. The escalated noise had come from the other warriors that had joined the fray. Thor was sure he saw Volstagg and Lady Sif among them, and there were definitely a few Frost Giants as well. The extra support must have freed up the Hulk to come to his aid. Thor watched as the Hulk battled Thanos. He took a second to catch his breath and think up a plan. What hadn't he tried against Thanos yet? His hammer was powerful, but he hadn't been able to shatter Thanos's bones with it like he could most of his opponents. What he needed was a more direct weapon since the best way to pierce through something dense was to have the smallest area of impact possible so that the energy wasn't dispearsed to other areas of contact. That is when Sigyn's dagger came to his mind. He quickly pulled the dagger from where it was sheathed at his hip and called Mjölnir to him. He waited for the Hulk to move out of the way enough for him to strike, and when the moment came he pounced. The knife in his hand seemed to pulsate magic as he rammed the point into Thanos's sternum. The Titan looked stunned at first, and he tightly grabbed Thor's hand while looking at the knife sticking out of his chest. Thor knew that Thanos recognized the knife as Sigyn's, but he didn't allow him the opportunity to think on it. He violently ripped his hand from Thanos's grasp and slammed Mjölnir against the hilt of the blade forcing it the rest of the way through Thanos's heart. The Titan's blue eyes clouded over in a look that Thor had seen countless times in battle. Thanos was dead.

Thor stepped back from Thanos's now lifeless body and let it fall to the ground unceremoniously. Some might have called the ending to this fight anti-climatic, but Thor didn't care. A victory was a victory, and it had been hard earned. Maybe some would have thought that as one of the most powerful beings in the Nine Realms Thanos should have been more of a challenge, but they would be forgetting that the key element of his plan was missing. Thanos had been banking on the Infinity Gauntlet to enhance his strength, but Sigyn had ruined that idea. Thor was eternally grateful that she had. Thanos without the Infinity Gauntlet had been difficult enough for him to kill, coupled with the Infinity Gauntlet he would have been seemingly impossible to defeat.

Thor stooped down and pulled Thanos's helment from his head. He glanced at the Hulk and then looked towards the rest of his allies. It was time to end this. He swung Mjölnir a couple of times and flew into the middle of the skirmish. He summoned up the last of his strength and created a bolt of lightning large enough to shake the entire cliff upon impact. The fighters were sent sprawling unharmed along the ground, and all eyes were on Thor.

"Thanos is dead." He pronounced while dropping the Titan's helmet at his feet. "Surrender to us now and we will collect our wounded and leave your planet."

There was an eerie silence, and Thor feared that the remaining Titan's wouldn't surrender. They looked among themselves trying to weigh their options. They were few in number, and would gain nothing by continuing to fight so the most senior looking soldier rose to answer Thor.

"Collect your wounded and dead and be gone."

Thor nodded but kept his face serious, he still had one task left. He pushed past a few of the weary fighters and began to search the ground for Loki and Sigyn's staffs. He eventually found them lying a few yards apart from each other. He collected them both and found the Avengers eyeing him. No one really wanted to broach the topic of Sigyn and Loki just yet.

"Where is Banner?" Tony asked instead.

"He was with me." Thor replied while looking around.

He had been sure that the Dr. would have followed him to demand for the Titan's surrender. Thor made his way back to where he had fought Thanos earlier with the others close on his heels. When they arrived they found Banner exhausted and rather naked sitting against a boulder.

"Well that was fun." Banner remarked.

"Are you ok?" Thor asked.

"I'm fine, I could use some clothes though…" Bruce mentioned.

"That might be difficult to come by here." Steve remarked.

Thor walked over at Thanos's body and pulled the cape from his armor.

"It is not really clothing, but it will be enough to get you back to Asgard." Thor apologized.

Bruce took the proffered cape and wrapped it around himself. The Avengers made their way down the cliff and reunited with Lady Sif, Celleth, Manavana, the Warriors Three, Býleistr, and another Frost Giant whom Thor assumed was Helblindi.

"How much longer till we are finished here?" Thor asked.

"Not long." Manavana assured.

"Any sign of Loki or Sigyn?" He questioned.

"None, but we haven't checked the camp yet." Býleistr pointed out.

"You guys keep cleaning up here, I'll go check out the camp." Stark offered.

He jetted off in the direction of the smouldering camp, and began looking for any clues as to what had happened to Sigyn and Loki. There were quite a few bodies in the camp, and around the general area, but the ones that caught Starks attention were the ones that seemed to lie away from where the main battle had taken place. He landed near a cluster of motionless figures and surveyed the area.

"J.A.R.V.I.S, scan the area for any signs of Sigyn or Loki." He commanded.

Stark's screen began to light up as J.A.R.V.I.S followed Stark's order.

"Sir there are footprints in the area that could belong to them, but it is impossible to say for sure with the area being as disturbed as it is." The A.I. pointed out.

"It had to be them. I highly doubt any of our troops made it this far away from the battle field." Stark reasoned.

He continued to follow the dead bodies like breadcrumbs and ended up in a ravine. He followed the path for a while, and was about to give up when he saw a few more bodies strewn in front of him. He excitedly went to where the bodies lay and looked about. To his left he saw a pile of rocks that had somehow caved in on the area. The debris in front of him had been moved about, meaning someone had been trapped under there and possibly pulled out.

"They were here." Stark stated.

"Sir, the chances of their survival of a rock slide are very slim." J.A.R.V.I.S pointed out.

Stark ignored his A.I. and hurried back to the rest of the Avengers as quickly as possible. Upon his arrival he noted that Banner and the Warriors Three were gone. He assumed they had already been sent back to Asgard so he refrained from asking where they were.

"I think I might have found something." Stark stated.

He briefed the group on what he had seen, and he could see Thor visibly perk up a little.

"We need to search the area, they were obviously captured since Thanos had their weapons, but they might not have been taken far away." Thor suggested.

His optimism was almost heartbreaking to see. No one wanted to be the one to burst his bubble so they agreed to go scan the area for any place Sigyn and Loki could have been taken. In the back of his mind, Tony couldn't help but think maybe Thor was right. He wasn't all that hopeful that they were still alive, but just bringing their bodies back would be of some comfort to Thor and Tony believed he deserved at least that. Once they finally reached the area Stark had mentioned the hunt began. Not surprisingly, it was Clint who spotted the entrance to the cave first. Both Býleistr and Helblindi opted to continue the search outside while everyone else made their way into the damp cavern.


	69. An unexpected reunion

Author's Note: Just a reminder that I own nothing except Sigyn and the other OCs. Almost done guys. Only about 4 chapters left!

* * *

Sigyn could hear the thunder echoing through the cave. It practically shook the place with Thor's rage. Loki had tried to carry her towards the door, but he was too exhausted to do so. They currently sat silently in their prison awaiting who knew what fate. Upon her request, Loki had retrieved her soft pink undertunic and helped her pull it over her head. It was sticking to the blood that covered her body, and she knew that if the blood dried it was going to be exceedingly painful to take off. That was assuming she would even have to. Sigyn wasn't completely sure that she was going to die, but she had trouble believing that she could possibly live. She was still losing blood despite the fact that Loki was applying as much pressure as he could to the wound in her abdomen. She had always assumed dying was supposed to be highly emotionally charged, but everything seemed rather ordinary. Shouldn't she feel scared, angry, or saddened? Wasn't she supposed to start spewing words of comfort and wisdom to Loki? That's how the books always ended. She should be tragically cut off in the middle of professing her love to Loki, or die with a bright happy smile after telling him how beautiful Vallahalla was and how Sylvath and Frigga where there to welcome her… instead she simply felt like laying with her head on his lap in silence. Yep, she made a poor tragic romantic heroine.

Loki had also grabbed her vambraces when he retrieved her tunic, and she now cradled them in her arms. Seeing as she could no longer see, she traced her finger over the engravings on the leather and let the image fill her head.

"I remember when I gave you those." Loki spoke up.

"Me too you big jerk." She teased.

"I was right wasn't I? No Æsir would have been right for you."

Sigyn smiled. She could have drawn out this argument just for fun, but she decided against it.

"How are you doing?" She asked instead.

"I am fine." He reassured her.

She had heard him tear the cloth of his undertunic, and had assumed that he had used it to make temporary bandages for his wounds.

"How are you feeling?" He asked in a concerned tone.

"A little drowsy, but the pain is starting to numb."

Another peal of thunder shook the cavern, and Loki tightened his grip on her.

"Sigyn, when we were in your room in Stark's tower why did you say that you knew I would pass your test?" He questioned.

A small smile ghosted her lips.

"Because I had a dream, much like what we experienced today. In the dream you had refused to betray me, and I knew that the dream meant something."

"How?"

"Because I also foresaw Frigga's death." She admitted.

"I thought you said you didn't have the gift of foresight." Loki pointed out.

"I highly doubt one dream is enough to qualify me as a seer." Sigyn retorted.

The pair fell into silence again. Sigyn needed to concentrate on staying conscious, and Loki needed to focus on monitoring her declining strength. She was in pretty bad shape. Extreme blood loss and the serious internal damage she had sustained were bad enough, but Sigyn's magic was completely drained as well. In all honesty, Loki wasn't sure how she had survived this long. Every so often he would try to heal her smaller wounds with his magic, and he was pleasantly surprised when he was able to fix a couple of them. It wasn't enough to solve the problem, but it at least gave him the illusion that he hadn't given up. When he felt he had enough physical strength, he shifted Sigyn into his arms and scooted them a few feet closer to the door. Sigyn whimpered in protest, but Loki ignored it. The temporary discomfort would be worth it if he could get them out of this cell. Every few minutes he would repeat the process, and he was finally able to get them within about a yard of the door. As he sat waiting patiently for enough strength to close the rest of the distance to the door and hopefully get it open, Sigyn pressed her ear to his chest. Ever since he could remember Sigyn had liked to do that. He supposed listening to people's heartbeats was some sort of comfort to her. Maybe it was a reminder that she wasn't alone in the Nine Realms. Loki ran a finger over the markings next to her eye, and he noted that they were becoming more and more difficult to see. Sigyn was growing paler and her skin was growing colder. She didn't have long left now. Loki was roused from his morbid musings by what he thought sounded like footsteps and hushed voices. He drew Sigyn closer to himself protectively. The echo of the cave distorted the voices, but Loki could tell that their tone was growing excited. The door to the room where Sigyn had previously been held was slammed open and Loki knew that theirs would be next. Bracing himself for whatever may come through the doorway, Loki allowed his free hand to take on its Jotun form and was prepared to create a dagger of ice if necessary. The door swung open violently and Steve Rogers stood in the doorway. Loki immediately relaxed and allowed the concealing spell to take over completely again.

"I found them!" Rogers yelled excitedly before coming into the room and kneeling across from Loki.

Footsteps could be heard rushing towards their cell, but Loki didn't bother to turn his head to watch them enter. Instead, he studied the Captain's reaction to Sigyn's current unconscious state. His blue eyes confirmed Loki's fear. Sigyn only had a few more minutes before she would be beyond help, and the panic that Loki had been keeping pressed to the furthest reaches of his mind began to take over.

"How are you?" Rogers asked Loki, taking the demigod by surprise.

"Alive." Loki responded bitterly.

"Loki!" Thor cried out as he entered the room.

Rogers moved aside so that Thor could take his spot across from his adopted brother and half-sister. Questions flooded Thor's eyes, but both he and Loki understood there wasn't time for that. He didn't want to admit it, but Loki knew that he wasn't out of the woods yet either. He needed a healer soon or his blood loss might slip him into unconsciousness as well. Thor tried to remove Sigyn from Loki's arms, but Loki refused to let go as panic caused his grip to tighten.

"I'm not sure we can move her." He protested.

"If she stays here she will die." Thor pointed out.

Loki looked at Sigyn's motionless features. Her breathing was weak. She would never survive a trip through the Bifrost like this, but Thor was right if they didn't try she would die for sure.

_"If only her magic had enough time to recuperate even a little, that would stabilize her enough for the trip… "_ he lamented inwardly.

"We need to get you out of here." Captian Rogers pressed.

Loki looked at Rogers and his eyes lit up.

"Sigyn's ring, do you have it!?" He asked urgently.

Without hesitation Captain America took the chain out from under his collar, pulled it over his head, and handed it to Loki. Loki had failed as a son, he had failed to end his own life, and he had failed to conquer Midgard, but Loki determined that he would not fail again, not this time. He would get Sigyn safely to Asgard. He tore the ring off of the chain and placed it on her right ring finger. The power of the Mind Gem seeped into Sigyn and the markings on her hand began to glow. She had a chance now. Loki released her to Thor's care, and in a flash his adopted brother was out of the chamber. Rogers kneeled down and carefully placed one of Loki's battered arms around his shoulder. Another presence flitted to his side, and Loki turned his head to see Lady Sif bringing his other arm over her shoulder. Loki tried to hide his surprise as they helped him stand. He could barely stay on his feet, and had to rely heavily on his companions to get down the hallway. Helblindi and Býleistr were waiting outside the cave when Stark, Celleth, Manavana, Clint, Sif, Steve, and Loki reached the opening.

No one wasted time talking. Lady Sif called out to Heimdall to take them back to Asgard and the blue light from the Bifrost lit up the sky. The group found themselves in the observatory soon enough and Steve, Sif, and Loki were the first three to make it out onto the bridge. Forseti and several guards, who had been alerted of Loki's immenent arrival when Thor returned with Sigyn, were waiting for them.

"We will take care of him from here." Forseti stated.

"He needs a Doctor." Steve protested.

"I'll see to it that a healer is sent to his cell then." Forseti responded.

"Really? When? After he is already dead?" Sif countered.

"There are plenty of other law-abiding citizens who need the attention of the healers now. I see no reason to give this traitor assistance before the others have been taken care of."

"Yes, well this 'traitor' just helped save your home." Stark interjected. "Where were you? I didn't see you out there fighting."

"I am not a soldier by trade." Forseti defended. "I will only ask once more. Hand Loki over to us or I will be forced to declare you all guilty of aiding a fugitive."

Unexpectedly, an arrow was suddenly pointing in Forseti's face.

"We'll take care of things from here." Clint stated firmly.

The guards and Forseti backed away slightly at Clint's aggressive move.

"Are you insane?" Forseti hissed.

"If I am will you leave us the hell alone?" Clint asked.

"We could just let the Frost Giants have him." Sif proposed.

Forseti glanced at the two Giants nervously and moved to the side. The group pushed past him in a rush to get to the healing rooms. On the way Natasha edged up next to Clint.

"Where did that arrow come from? I thought you were out?" She asked.

"I was out, about a dozen times. Every time I needed an arrow it was there." He replied. "You know, I could get used to this whole magic thing."

"Speak for yourself." Natasha responded with a smile.

The healing rooms were bustling with activity when the group got there. Thor was waiting patiently for them.

"Sigyn?" Loki asked before Thor could say anything.

"She is being attended to, but the healers have not told me if they expect her to live or not." Thor replied.

Loki looked to the ground, but raised his head when he felt Steve and Sif handing him over to a stronger grip. Loki glanced up at Thor who was now at his side.

"Let us get you some help." The blonde suggested before leading him over to an empty cot.

The rest of the group moved away from the healing area so as not to crowd that Asgardians that were at work. Thor joined them as soon as a pair of healers began attending to Loki.

"Forseti tried to apprehend Loki on the bridge." Lady Sif informed Thor.

"What did you tell him?" Thor asked curiously.

"That if he tried to take Loki to the dungeons before he was healed we would let the Frost Giants have him." She informed him with a smile.

" 'Eagle eye' pointing an arrow in his face might have helped convince him too." Stark admitted.

Thor smiled at Hawkeye. "Thank you friends, but I fear the day is not over yet. We will need to have an audience with the AllFather…"

"There is no need for that." Odin's voice interrupted. "I am already here. Where are they?"

"With the healers, but we will not be allowed to stay down here while they are at work. Word will be sent to us when Loki is ready to see us."

"And Sigyn?" Odin asked.

"I am sure they will send word when they have any news on her as well." Thor assured.

"I wish to know everything that happened." Odin stated. "Follow me." He beckoned.

He led the rather large party of people to an empty balcony overlooking Asgard. The morning sun lit the skyline of the grand city in a golden haze. Agent Hill and Dr. Banner were sent for, and then Odin questioned Thor of the battle and how they came across Sigyn and Loki. The Prince gave a general description of the fighting while allowing the others to add any details that might be necessary. Odin considered Thor's account silently before requesting that he give a detailed report of everything that had led up to Thor's arrival back in Asgard with the Avengers. When the battle on Alfheim was mentioned Celleth and Manavana were asked for their input as well. Once Thor had finished that rather lengthy tale, Odin respectfully addressed Helblindi.

"Helblindi Laufeyson, King of Jotunheim, I believe we need to discuss the fate of your brother. The rest of you may go. Rest and eat, you all deserve it after your battle. Once the healers have taken care of those with more severe wounds you should go seek their treatment as well."

With that polite dismissal all those present, aside from Helblindi, went to follow Odin's advice. An early breakfast was served and then the Avengers went to their rooms. Afterwards, servants showed Býleistr, Celleth, and Manavana to their own chambers. Thor began stripping off his armor immediately upon entering his room. He slipped into his tub, and for the second time in less than a week he found himself contemplating Loki and Sigyn while bathing. Loki would be fine, at least physically, but Sigyn was another matter. When he had entered the cell where they were being kept the stench of drying blood had assaulted him, and both Sigyn and Loki's bodies had been slick with it. If Sigyn did survive she would still be in some danger of relapse till she regained her magic, and Thor had a feeling Loki wouldn't want to leave her side till she was well enough to begin her daily routine again. The look in Loki's green eyes when Thor had tried to take Sigyn from him the first time was almost wild. He seemed to just be teetering on the edge of sanity, and Thor feared that if Sigyn passed Loki would descend back into madness once more. Loki and Sigyn had always been close growing up, but even Thor could tell that something had drawn them closer together during their adventure. He knew some sort of romantic relationship had developed after he had walked in on their kiss, but how deep was this romance? Thor pushed all of these questions to the back of his mind. He would worry about them when Loki was ready to talk.

Thor bandaged his own wounds after he finished bathing. He could have gone to the healers, but doing it himself was a good way to keep occupied till news regarding Loki or Sigyn came. He finished bandaging himself up and slipped into a fresh tunic. Left with nothing else to do, he took a seat in front of the empty fireplace. He stared silently at the space where a blaze would normally be. His mind kept going back to the scene he had witnessed when he entered the chamber where Loki and Sigyn were obviously being tortured. Loki had seemed like a lost child with Sigyn looking like a lifeless doll in his arms. She had been clutching a pair of vambraces to her chest. Thor had recognized them as an old pair of Loki's, and he hoped that the healers wouldn't accidentally lose them. His reverie was finally interrupted by a knock on the door. He rushed over to answer it, and was greeted by the sight of a healer.

"We are finished with Loki My Prince." She informed with a curtsy.

"How is he? Has he asked for anyone?"

"He will heal just fine, but he is currently resting. He lost consciousness before we had even finished attending to his wounds. He seemed to have lost quite a bit of blood."

"Thank you. Please let me know when he wakes." Thor requested.

"Of course My Lord."

Thor was left alone once more, and began to feel exhaustion slipping over him. He hadn't slept in over twenty-four hours so he decided now would be a good time to rest. Sleep came quickly, and he could have sworn he had just closed his eyes when a loud banging on his door aroused him. He sat up and looked out the window to discover that night had already fallen.

"I'm coming!" He called to the knocker.

He was to the door in a few long strides and was greeted by the same healer from earlier.

"Loki?" He asked without hesitation.

"He has awoken My Prince." She informed him.

"And?"

"He has asked after Princess Sigyn, but none of the healers are permitted to inform him of her state. While the Prince might be physically healing, we are not sure that his mind is in any state to handle the news."

"And what news is there of Sigyn?"

"She is alive, but we can't garuntee she will last the night. Our most skilled healers are with her constantly. She might live for another few centuries or she could die within the next hour, there is just no way for us to know yet."

"What makes you think that Loki is not mentally stable?" Thor pressed.

"He has been murmuring strange things about wanting to see his wife and how we don't have any right to keep him from her, and My Lord he demands to see you."

Thor contemplated the healer's words.

"Of course I will go to him." He replied.

The pair left for the healing rooms, and Thor had to ensure that he didn't take such long strides that the healer wasn't able to keep pace with him. The healing rooms were emptier than they had been earlier, but there were still a number of the more seriously injured spread throughout the ward. Thor didn't have to be led to Loki's bed by the nurse since he could see his adopted brother struggling against several of the healers. He approached the bed quickly and placed a restraining hand on Loki's shoulder.

"That is enough, be still Loki." He commanded.

Loki sent Thor a frustrated glance. "It took you long enough to get here." Loki accused acidicly. "Tell these fools that they must let me see Sigyn!" He demanded.

"No one is allowed to see her Loki, not even I." Thor assured while sending a dismissive glance towards the healers.

They all sent him a silent and relieved "Thank you" and left the two Princes alone. Thor took a seat by Loki and watched him rake his hands through his disheveled black hair. That is when Thor noticed the solitary cuff that was restraining Loki to the bed. Thor couldn't argue with the reasoning behind doing that. If Loki didn't calm down soon he could be a danger to those around him, but probably more so to himself.

"They can't do this to me." Loki fumed. "They have no right to keep me from her!"

"It is not that they want to keep her from you Loki. Sigyn is not stable enough for anyone to see yet."

Loki closed his eyes and Thor observed as his bandaged chest began to rise and fall in a steadier manner. Clarity seemed to have returned to Loki's eyes when he next opened them. Thor decided he would take a risk, and addressed Loki.

"I was told that you wished to see me…"

Loki smirked. "I thought you might convince those idiots to allow me to see Sigyn. A stupid thought, I know."

"What happened?" Thor prodded. "We all assumed you were both dead."

"How I wish we were." Loki stated resentfully. "I suppose at this rate we both will be anyway."

Thor gave Loki a questioning look causing Loki to laugh.

"Don't act so surprised. Sigyn is dying and you've all brought me to Asgard for nothing more than an execution. Your father won't have any other choice but to do what he should have done the first time, Forseti will see to that."

"There is no guarantee that you will face execution Loki, and Sigyn is still living." Thor pointed out.

Loki sunk into silence so Thor tried to ignite a conversation once more.

"What did Thanos do to you?"

"He didn't do anything to me. What you see here is the handiwork of his useless minion. No, Thanos didn't touch me. He tried to break Sigyn through mental torture. The _Other_ was the one who battered her body."

Loki's eyes had grown distant at the recollection and Thor knew it wouldn't be safe to pry further into the topic. The last thing he needed was to trigger Loki into having another fit.

"Do you know how it feels to have the one person you love most used against you? To watch as they are tortured mercilessly as punishment for _your_ failures?" Loki asked without expecting an answer.

"Partially." Thor admitted.

Loki looked at Thor, emotion gleaming in his green eyes. "Then imagine that love was your wife…"

Thor knit his brows together and Loki could sense that he didn't quite understand what he was saying.

"Thor, Sigyn and I were married on Jotunheim."

As if to affirm his statement he unwrapped the bandage on his left hand and held his palm out to Thor. Thor inspected it carefully, and he could just make out the faintest of scars on his skin. It was an 'S'. Hope began to bubble in Thor's chest. Loki wasn't going crazy after all. In his drugged up state when he had been asking for his wife he had been asking for Sigyn.


End file.
